vincit omnia amor
by atalanta's apples
Summary: Hermione has to tutor Draco but she ends up learning a lot more... like being bad...*epilogue up!* and now it's all over...or is it...
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer:Nope...no one in this fic is mine! *sob* they all belong to J.K. Rowling (obviously)  
  
Author's Note: This is my first HP fic (the rest have all been LOTR) but I really love all of the HP books and even the movies so please be nice! heehee  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"And I hear that he's even got one of those racing brooms! He has all that stuff and he hasn't even tried out the broom yet? I bet it isn't even broken in yet," Ron whispered. Ron, Harry, and Hermione had their heads huddled in the back of the room during Professor McGonagall's class. Hermione rolled her eyes but harry leaned in closer and said in a hushed voice,  
  
"Which model is it?" Ron shook his bright head.   
  
"I didn't hear but I sure as hell wasn't going to stick around the library with all those Slytherins just to hear what new present Malfoy's daddy got him." Harry shook his head.  
  
"What ever it is, it must be good." Hermione shut her heavy book loudly, causing Ron and Harry to jump.  
  
"Class is over," she said sweetly. They started to gather their stuff and were halfway out of the classroom when Professor McGonagall looked up sharply. Both Harry and Ron jumped again.   
  
"Calm down boys," said the professor, a stern smile tugging at her lips. "I'd just like to speak to Ms. Granger today." Hermione shrugged and shifted the weight of her bookbag from one shoulder to another. the ret of the class filed out, some chattering noisely (in Parvati's and Lavender's case) or tripping through the door (in Neville's case). When everyone had left, Professor McGonagall looked at Hermione through the tops of her wire rimmed glasses.   
  
"Is the work load coming easy for you?" Hermione beamed.  
  
"Yes, Professor."   
  
"Then perhaps you could do the faculty and me a great favor. We would be extremely gratified if you would do it." Hermione nodded. She had extra time on her hands and she had pretty much gone through every book in the library. For once Harry and Ron were not in one of their crazy escapades. Quidditch season was just starting for Harry so that took up most of his time and Ron was taken up by Professor Dumbledor who assigned to him things to do that would help him later in the wizarding world. Think of it like an internship.   
  
"The faculty and I would be extremely grateful if you could tutor Hogwart's most difficult student. Twenty five poitns for the Gryffindor house for every session." Hermione blinked.  
  
"But Professor," she protested. "You know I would do this without anything like house points as rewards." Professor McGonagall smiled ironically.  
  
"Most of the faculty thought you deserved fifty points for every session but Professor Snape was quite stubborn about this one." Hermione frowned, pieces starting to fit.   
  
"Oh Professor," she said, trying not to let the groan escape between her lips. "You know a hundred sessions won't help Goyle."  
  
"The student isn't Goyle." Herminone's eyebrows knit in surprise. It couldn't be Crabbe, he was dim, that was true, but he was alreayd getting help. And it couldn't be Pansy either. All she had to do was to flash a little more leg to the male teachers and that would bring her grade right up. Hermione frowned again in disgust. Then she was struck with a ridiculous notion. It couldn't possibly be...  
  
"The student is Draco Malfoy. Does that bother you in any way?" Hermione's eyebrows raised up until they were practically hidden beneath her tangle of brown hair. She thought quickly. If she got lucky, then Malfoy would start studying just to get out of seeing her and she'd still get some house points along the way. Hermione gave her brightest smile.  
  
"I'd love to tutor Draco Malfoy."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"You're what?!" Ron spluttered. Hermione had just told Ron and Harry about what had happened and Ron had nearly choked on his dinner.  
  
"You're tutoring that devil?" Hermione looked over to where Malfoy was sitting. He was, as usual, surrounded by throngs of his admirers, mostly Syltherin but some Ravenclaws were there and even some Hufflepuff girls standing around the outskirts, hoping that Malfoy would flash them his killer smile. Hermione hated to admit it but he was pretty hot. Malfoy suddenly looked up and saw Hermione looking at him. He smirked and looked away. Hermione flushed. She couldn't believe she had to tutor that arrogant bastard.   
  
"I hope you're getting paid for this Hermione," said Ron.  
  
"Twenty five points for every session." Ron whistled softly.  
  
"Whoa. Between that and all the snitches Harry is going to catch for us, the house cup already has Gryffinder's name on it." Harry grinned.  
  
"First practice this Friday, you with us?"  
  
"Of course." Ron gave Hermione a sideways glance. "Are you going to be there?" Hermione took another bite of her chicken then pushed the plate away.  
  
"It's tempting but I can't. I have to finish up my homework."  
  
"But you have all weekend," said Ron. Hermione shrugged.  
  
"I have to tutor Malfoy both days." Harry shrugged.  
  
"Okay, but see you at class." Harry and Ron hurried to finish up last minute homework. Hermione took out her books and pretended to read but felt someone's eyes on her. She turned aorund very slowly to find Malfoy staring straight at her. Their eyes met for a second but just before Malfoy's eyes pulled away, Hermione thought to herself, not this time. She gave him a cold glare and broke the contact first. She started to read, feeling very content.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Why could he stop thinking about her? Draco shook his head slightly, disgusted with himself. Hermione Granger was a mudblood, she was part of the golden group. Harry, leading the way as Dumbledore's favorite boy, Ron, tagging along, being the loyal puppy dog in his tattered robes. But then there was Granger. Sharp, witty, always something smart to say. Then she shows up at the Yule Ball looking like Audrey Hepburn, all glittery like a star. Draco shook his head again. It's because all the Slytherin girls look like such dogs, he decided. He was getting distracted. He looked at where Hermione was sitting, across from Harry, next to Ron. Ron was so close he could probably smell her hair. They were speaking softly to one another. The three always did that when they spoke. As if there was no one else in the world but just the three of them, their tight, golden friendship. Draco could almost throw up in disgust. He saw Ron's hand lift up almost as if he was about to stroke Hermione's hair while she was blissfully oblivious to the fact that Ron would lick the bottoms of her shoes if she asked him to.   
  
"Draco, you must be thinking hard," said Pansy, simpering, purring, like a sick cat. Draco felt his stomach turn again. Pansy sat down on his lap. Draco resisted the urge to push her off. Pansy leaned forward, trying to look at him from beneath her lashes. Once again Draco felt his mind turn back to Hermione. She did that to him before, unintentionally. She had been looking down, reading, when he passed by. She looked up from beneath those thick lashes. Draco felt numbness as Pansy leaned forward and kissed him sloppily on the corner of his mouth. He turned his head and kissed her back, trying to avoid tongues at all cost but Pansy went right to them. Draco mentally pictured himself standing up and walking away, throwing up in some bathroom stall. Pansy giggled and kissed him again, her eyes closed, unlike Draco's. His were staring straight at Hermione.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
*lalala, please R&R I want to know if you guys like it so far! heehee, thanks for reading guys! 


	2. Two Hours

Disclaimer:*sigh* no...i don't own anyone...unfortunately...i would like to own Draco *grin* you know, i don't even have to own him...just maybe rent him...like rent a hottie....or two or three...(i happen to have legolas in mind to rent heehee)  
  
Author's Notes: Augh! *hyperventilates* i luv everyone who reviewed! i thought no one would read this! heehee, thanks to dracoluva99, lilchickidy06, Darcel, suzi, blank (it was an annonymous review), and Hermione18! Oh, anyone i missed, my comps acting up AGAIN and it won't show me. So it says i have seven reviews but it only shows six, grrr....heehee...oh, and there will be a lot more action or whatever in this chappy :) thanks for reading! Oh, by the way, this is set in Draco's and Hermione's sixth year.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Hermione checked her watch for the fiftieth time. Of course he's late. What did she expect? It was a full thirty minutes after they had scheduled to meet in the library when Draco came sauntering throught the door. A wind blew through his hair. Wind? thought Hermione. It's indoors for God's sake. Does he control the ventilation here too? Draco flicked his white blond hair out of his eyes and looked at Hermione with his cold blue eyes.   
  
"Granger. I hope you can raise my grades." Hermione cleared her throat in the most civilized way possible.   
  
"Sit down Malfoy, you're already thirty minutes late," she snapped. So much for a civil conversation. Draco snorted.   
  
"Whatever you say, you're the bloody teacher, not me." He pulled up a chair and plopped down on it, somehow managing to do it with the same grace he showed on the Quidditch field. Hermione discovered that she was clutching her bookbag a little to tighty. She released her iron grip on it and also found that her palms were sweaty.   
  
"Come on Granger, I don't have all day. I have things to do."  
  
"So what happened, Malfoy?" asked Hermione, irritably. "Didn't your daddy buy you some brains?"   
  
"First of all," said Draco. If her comment had irked him, he showed no sign of it. He was completely unembarresable. He was smooth and calm and nothing could shatter his image. "Don't call me Malfoy. My name is Draco, call me by my name."   
  
"Fine," said Hermione, almost clenching her teeth. "Draco then." Draco leaned forward close to Hermione's face. Hermione could smell the mint on his breath the some scent that he was wearing. He smelled clean, like the most delicious boy alive. Hermione's face twitched and she leaned back.   
  
"And second of all," Draco continued. "I hope you do a good job. My father would kill me if I failed any classes." Hermione shrugged.  
  
"So would mine."   
  
"No," said Draco, with more emphasis. "He would kill me." The word kill lingered in the air. Hermione peered at Draco's face and saw that his aloof look was replaced by an innocent one. He looked almost...vulnerable.   
  
"Well," said Hermione, trying to sound more like a teacher than a shocked classmate. "I'll make sure you'll stay away from any coffins." Draco smirked and leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head.  
  
"So what first Granger?"   
  
"Charms."   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Draco couldn't listen as Hermione jabbered on and on about some spell. He couldn't concentrate. She was shockingly pretty up close. If only she just straightened her shoulders once in awhile, she didn't always have to be carrying those heavy books. And if only she'd look up at someone's face rather than have her nose buried in a book. Draco also noticed with surprise that underneath her black school robe, her skirt was quite...shorter than he would have expected.  
  
"They let you wear your skirt like that, Granger?" asked Draco, interrupting Hermione. Hermione flushed and pulled the robe more tightly around herself.   
  
"No rules against it," she said, tightly. Draco raised his almost invisible eyebrows. Hermione uncrossed then crossed her legs again then suddenly blushed red again, agaist her will. She hoped she hadn't flashed too much leg. She had only been in Draco's presense for what? Twenty minutes? And she was already turning into another Pansy.   
  
"We're supposed to be working on this repelling spell, Draco," she reminded. Draco pretended to be listening but his mind wandered again, far too easily.   
  
"So, are you going out with Weasley?" Hermione frowned, startled.  
  
"No wonder you're failing all your classes," she muttered. "No, Draco, I am not going out with Ron and now can we please get back to the spell?"   
  
"Why not? He'd love to, he had been waiting all last year when you were going with...hmm...Krum it was."   
  
"That's great, Draco. Now we're going to get back to work." And so they did, kind of.   
  
"I really have to go now, Draco. But tomorrow, try to be on time?" Hermione started to gather her books and load them into her bookbag.   
  
"Of course," Draco said. He flahsed her a smile, that melting smile of his. Hermione frowned.   
  
"I hope you're telling the truth. And do work on that spell? If it took a whole two hours for you to get the intonation of the words...oh nevermind. We'll work on it tomorrow."  
  
"Right on it, Granger." Draco gave Hermione a smirk and breezed out the door, as if he owned the place. Shit, thought Hermione. That was too weird. Way too weird.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Draco collapsed into a chair in the Slytherin common room. He bit his lip slightly. So the mudblood wasn't going out with the muggle lover? Not that that had actually surprised him. It was plain to pretty much everyone at Hogwarts that the crush only went one way. But if Hermione wasn't with Ron...Draco ordered himself to get a grip. A Gryffindor girl??? What was he thinking? His dad would go ballistic and have a spaz the minute he heard. Draco smiled to himself at the mental picture of his dad flopping on the floor like a fish without water. The scene was ruined when Pansy entered the common room, looking more like a pug than ever.  
  
"Draco sweetheart," she purred and made her way by some Slytherins to get to him.   
  
"Pansy," he said. He tried to push her away. "Not now." Pansy pouted.  
  
"What happened to you, Draco?" I just had the two best hours of my life, thought Draco.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
*Ahh....sweet love. Things might be rough betwen them for awhile though...after all.....how would Ron react if he ever found out that Ms. Smarty-pants had an excruciating, painful crush on Draco? And that that same crush happened to go two ways? Exactly....trouble is in the air.....but so is love... :) Please R&R and thanks for reading! 


	3. I've Had Better

Disclaimer:Let me check...nope, not mine :)  
  
Author's Notes: Augh! Big hugs and extra thanks to Haille Jade Potter, Alquamore, Hermione18, voidsenshi, Kagami, Walking Contridiction, Darcel, Midnight Rain, skinny, and DMLGAL. Heehee, reviews tend to get my chapters up more quickly if you hadn't noticed :) a head's up, remember that stuff that was sort of sparking between Draco and Hermione? Well let's blow on that flame a bit :)   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Hermione started towards the library where she was supposed to meet Draco. It was Monday and at the last minute, Draco had canceled because "some stuff came up." Hermione reminded herself over and over again that she had only been unhappy because it was twenty five extra points gone. Hermione strided through the halls of Hogwarts, trying not to let her self- consciousness show. Her skirt had been let down, she didn't think she could stand another comment like the one she got on Saturday. She lingered for a short while, trying to force herself to be late. Five minutes passed...then ten minutes...after fifteen minutes, Hermione couldn't stand it. Punctuality was one of her best traits and she wasn't going to lose it to some blond daddy's boy. Hermione pushed open the heavy, mahogany doors to the library and stepped in, breathing the woody, old scent of books. She looked around and swore under her breath. Draco wasn't there. Then suddenly, there was a voice right by her ear.  
  
"You're late Granger." It was Draco but when Hermione turned around, there wasn't a look of malice, rather a look of playful teasing...but that smirk was still there.   
  
"Some stuff came up," said Hermione, coldly. Draco laughed.  
  
"Angry about yesterday? I swear, Hermione, if you ever get mixed up with a girl like Pansy-" Hermione shook her head.  
  
"I don't need to hear it," she said, interrupting him. "But you need to bring up your grades, come on."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Draco actually was telling the truth, about how things came up. Things did come up. More specifically someone came up. He groaned inwardly, thinking about Sunday. It had started when Pansy had sauntered up to him and he had told her to stop for a second time that weekend.  
  
"Draco," she pouted, her bottom lip sticking out. It made her look more like a pug than ever. "You haven't given me a proper snog in a month." She batted her eyelashes and Draco was checking his watch. If he wanted to meet Hermione in time, he'd have to leave now.   
  
"I can't, Pansy, I'm busy," he growled. Pansy wouldn't let him go. She would make sure that the sexiest boy at Hogwarts would not turn down her charm. Charm? What charm? Pansy looked deep into Draco's light blue eyes, icy at the moment, though they would warm and turn darker at the sight of a certian Gryffindor.   
  
"I want you, Draco," she whispered. Draco was about to tell her off when he noticed that many of the Slytherins were watching them. Damn, he thought. How strange would it look if he said to Pansy that he had to leave because he had to meet Hermione? Obviously it wouldn't look too good. He couldn't lie, Crabbe and Goyle would try and follow him like the two idiot dogs they were.   
  
"I have places to go Pansy," he said.   
  
"Cancel them," said Pansy, smiling at Draco, a wild look in her eyes. Draco had no choice and he raised his head and forced himself to kiss Pansy, in front of all the Slytherins.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"So what do you think you learned today?" Draco looked at her and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I don't know, Granger," he drawled. "Aren't you supposed to be the one with all the answers?" Hermione stood up, disgusted. Draco was just impossible. There wasn't anything decent about him.   
  
"I have to go to class."   
  
"Transfiguration? With McGonagall?" Hermione nodded.  
  
"That's my next class too, come on, Granger, I'll walk you there." They started gathering their books and walking there when suddenly Draco pulled Hermione's arm and led her down another corridor.   
  
"This isn't the way to-"   
  
"Come on, I'm going to teach you a lesson. I owe you." Hermione felt a knot form in her stomach. Sure he was Slytherin but he wouldn't do anything that   
would put her in danger? No reason why he wouldn't. That made her shudder slightly. He led her into an empty classroom.   
  
"So you changed your skirt length for me?" he asked, a teasing tone in his voice. Hermione felt her cheeks heat up.   
  
"No," she retorted. "It's a drafty day, I wouldn't want to get a cold." Draco laughed.  
  
"First of all, Granger, if you're gonna lie, do it but say it to my face, not at the ground." Hermione frowned slightly.   
  
"What were you going to teach me?"   
  
"Anything you'd like to learn, Granger. How to control people, how to influence teachers," he smirked slightly. "How to kiss."   
  
"I don't need to control people and I think I have teachers under control."   
  
"Do you? You didn't answer me about the last one." Hermione wished that her face would stop feeling like it was on fire.   
  
"I know enough. And I'm sure I'd be better at it than Pansy. She practically drools."  
  
"So you've been watching me, have you?" Before Hermione could snap at him, Draco leaned forward and kissed Hermione. Oh my, thought Hermione. There were sparks, there was the pounding of the ocean, the secret of the stars, the lush of flowers, all rolled into one firey kiss. Victor was absolutely nothing compared to this, thougth Hermione. She would have pushed Draco away and told him to stop if she could ever control her arms again. But she found that she just couldn't and let herself enjoy the kiss.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Hermione was right, again. Pansy is sloppy, always slobbering. Disgusting, thought Draco. But Hermione, she tasted sweet, like vanilla. She just tasted better. Draco was amazed. The world seemed to tilt slightly beneath his feet. He could have stood there, his lips on Hermione's, forever.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Draco had put his arms around Hermione and she had started to lean into him when they both broke apart.   
  
"What was that?" she snapped, immediately, as if she did not have the most intoxicating moment in her life. Draco smirked.  
  
"You're right," he said.  
  
"About what."  
  
"You are a better kisser than Pansy."   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Harry, where's Hermione? She never misses a class!" Ron whispered loudly. Professor McGongall was currently talking to Professor Snape who had walked in earlier in their classtime.   
  
"I haven't seen her almost all weekend," Harry whispered back. He shook his shaggy black hair out of his face. Then the door opened. In came Draco and Hermione, Draco looking as cool as ever, Hermione looking...pink.   
  
"What are they doing late? Together?" Ron hissed, almost trottling Harry.   
  
"Easy there," Harry muttered, massaging his neck. "I saw them come in too."  
  
"Mr. Malfoy? Ms. Granger? Can you explain why you are late for class," asked Professor McGonagall. Before Hermione could say anything, Draco said, "Well, Professor McGonagall, our tutoring session went a little over."   
  
"Well then, did you learn?" Professor McGonagall was staring at them, almost burningly, and Hermione felt as if she could die.   
  
"I don't know but I think it's Hermione who's learning more," said Draco with a smirk. Snape jumped in.  
  
"Learning about what, Draco?" he asked. Draco shrugged with that look on his face that said that he knew more than he was going to say.  
  
"Things," he said. "But I can assure you that our sessions are very...entertaining. To us, anyways." Ron almost spluttered in the back.   
  
"Did you hear him, Harry?" he whispered loudly. Harry jumped to the side to avoid being shaken by the neck again.   
  
"What do you have to say about this, Ms. Granger?" asked Snape, looking at them venomously. Hermione then did something that shocked even her. She shrugged casually and said, "I've had better." This time, it was Snape who nearly choked.   
  
"Enough of this nonsense," snapped Professor McGonagall. "Ten points each from both Slytherin and Gryffindor for the tardiness, now sit down." They both did so. The rest of class went smoothly and as soon as Professor McGonagall dismissed the class, Ron pounced on Hermione.  
  
"What were you talking about, up there?" he asked. Hermione shrugged again.  
  
"Nothing really," she said. But when Ron and Harry both had their heads down, trying to get all their books, Hermione looked towards the door where Draco was heading out. He looked up at the same time and their eyes locked...and they both smiled.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Ah, i just luv to torture Snape. I wonder what's going on in that mind of his. Well....you'll find out next chappy! muahahaha! heehee...please R&R and tell me if this is getting good or not... :) thanks for reading! 


	4. Protection

Disclaimer:argh! nope...not mine...  
  
Author's notes: I decided that if i keep doing the 'Mione/Draco thing over and over again, it's bound to get old....so i've decided to bring a little snape into this, heh heh...oohhhie, hugs to blizzard, shadow violet212, Hermione18, not sure yet, Jen Drake, celena, aznlady, Joy, karuluvjessrory, Mjade, Deeta, and Sila-chan! oh, and sila-chan, i'm not sure if you've read my other fic on my other pen name that has the same name as this one (whew, that's kinda complicated, heehee) i couldn't think of a good name for this one and i liked this particular phrase...so i just used it again :) that's what you might have read....oh, and btw, the other fic with the same name is lotr, not hp :) okie? okie then! thanks so much for reviewing, everyone!   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
Snape walked down the hallway towards his office in the dungeon. How dare Draco get himself mixed up with a Gryffindor? Not that he had any problem with Gryffindors. He felt something in his heart, like it was starting to twist into itself. He shook his head and kept striding forward with a purpose. No, it wasn't that he had anything against Gryffindors, except for the fact that every single one of them tried to be so noble. They should just shut up and take things the way they are. They are so naive in this world, he mused. If they don't wake up, they're bound to get hurt. Snape was merely worried about them. Though he may not like every student, he got somewhat attached to each of them and would not be able to stand it if anything happened to them, especially Draco. He was the most worried about him. If any word got out about Hermione and Draco, someone was bound to go to Lucius and tell. Then Draco would be in some deep trouble. Snape stopped. He had to teach Draco a lesson, to keep him from Hermione.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
"Draco Malfoy," said Snape. "I would like to talk to you." Draco jumped up from a common room chair.   
  
"Let's head to my office," he suggested. They never got that far. They were down in the hallways of the dungeons where the only lights were torches. Shadows lurked right behind a corner, like nightmare demons that had somehow escaped from your mind and was wandering through the corridors of Hogwarts.   
  
"What were you thinking?" Snape hissed. Draco stepped back, slightly.  
  
"I was only having fun," he answered back, surprised.   
  
"Only fun? Only fun?! Draco! The minute this gets to your father, you know he will..."  
  
"I can talk reason into him, Professor," said Draco, his voice growing cold. "It was just fun, nothing more."  
  
"Was it?" Draco stopped. Was it?   
  
"I can take care of myself, but thank you for all the help," said Draco, sarcastically. Out of nowhere, Snape's fist appeared and punched Draco hard in the jaw.  
  
"What the-" Draco was stunned. Teachers never hit students. If someone saw, Snape would be fired.  
  
"You need to know what will happen when your father finds out, Draco," Snape said, harshly. He punched Draco several times more until he was on the ground on his hands and knees, gasping for breath. His ribs felt bruised.   
  
"Draco," Snape said, softly. "I have to protect you. You know you're father won't stop after a couple of hits. He won't stop until you're dead in a ditch. No one defiles the family name and if Lucius has to kill his own son to keep the name pure, he will do that." Snape helped Draco up but the minute he was standing, Draco pushed Snape away.  
  
"You sick bastard," he muttered. Draco limped down the hallway leaving Snape in the dark corridor.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
Draco was trying to make sense of what happened. How could he dare to have hit him? Obviously he dared...and he did. Malfoy didn't know how this had happened but he was suddenly standing in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. Obviously the Hogwarts castle knew to put people where they belonged...  
  
"Knock, dear," said the Fat Lady, giggling. She hadn't had such a cute boy standing in front of her before. She quickly opened her fan with a snap and covered her smile with it.   
  
"Thank you," said Draco, still dazed. The Fat Lady tittered.  
  
"I would just let you in, but I'm afraid that's strictly against the rules, especially since you're the most notorious Slytherin." She shook her head. "No, I just can't even if you are the cutest thing I've ever seen." Draco nodded distractedly. He knocked on the side of the portrait.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
Hermione was studying hard. Trying to tutor Draco and juggling all of her classes were starting to become harder than she had thought it would be. It was getting dark. She was pretty sure Harry and Ron will soon be back with red noses and wind blown hair, smelling like fresh air. It was getting too dark to practice Quidditch; Hermione hoped they'd hurry back soon, she was starting to get bored. Knock knock. She jumped slightly. No one else was in the common room except for her. Who on earth would be knocking? Probably Neville who forgot the password again. She swung open the portrait door to find Draco in front of it, looking battered and tired.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
When the door swung open and Hermione was standing there, Draco felt as if a light was shining from behind her, a heavenly angel descending from the heavens. Hmm, Snape couldn't have possibly hit him that hard... The side of Draco's face throbbed and his ribs felt like they were on fire.   
  
"Draco?" Hermione whispered. She walked out and the portrait door swung shut behind her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
Had he gotten into a fight? wondered Hermione.   
  
"What happened?" she asked, quietly. Draco shook his head.   
  
"I can't tell you here." Draco looked from side to side, looking nervous. Hermione tugged on his sleeve and after popping her head through the portrait hole and making sure no one was there, she pulled him inside after her and hurried quickly to Hermione's bedroom. At times like these, the prefect private rooms were very convenient. Hermione lighted a few candles for light and sat down on her bed.   
  
"Well?" Hermione perched on her bed, legs crossed, chin in her hands, big brown eyes looking fully at Draco. Draco looked around.  
  
"The Gryffindor prefect room is better than the Slytherin one," he commented. When he saw that Hermione obviously wouldn't be distracted, he sighed.  
  
"It was Snape," he finally said. Hermione took a sharp breath.  
  
"A professor hit you?" she asked, increduously.   
  
"He's protecting me, Hermione." Draco vainly tried to defend Snape. The shock of the attack had worn off and somehow, Draco could vaguely see where Snape was coming from.   
  
"My father would hurt me a lot more, he's trying to keep me from...doing more entertaining things with you."  
  
"I tutor you," said Hermione, obviously disgusted by Snape's beliefs and actions.  
  
"We didn't exactly act that way in class, did we?" Draco asked.  
  
"But it doesn't matter how we acted. Nothing happened." Draco raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Nothing happened?" he asked. Hermione looked down. She obviously didn't think it was nothing...  
  
"I felt something, Hermione, in the empty classroom, and I know you felt it too."  
  
"Who knows what we felt, Draco."   
  
"I don't know, but I know it wasn't nothing." Suddenly, there was the sound of the portrait door being swung open then closed.  
  
"'Mione!" Ron's voice called.   
  
"Shit," Hermione muttered. Draco looked at Hermione, startled.  
  
"Don't worry," said Hermione, thinking quickly. She blew out all the candles and motioned Draco to be quiet.  
  
"If they think that I'm asleep, then they won't bother me," she whispered. Then, she touched something on the wall next to her bed and flicked something off. They sat in tense silence for seconds that just s t r e t c h e d to eternity....  
  
"What was that?" asked Draco, as Harry's and Ron's footsteps faded away.   
  
"Sound bug," said Hermione. "I have one in my room and Harry and Ron have one next to their beds. We can talk to each other in our rooms, it's very convenient if McGonagall does an impromptu lights out and we still want to talk."   
  
"Oh." Draco suddenly felt shut out, shut out of the golden group. Their eyes started to adjust to the dim light and Hermione opened the curtains to let more moonlight in.  
  
"Let's see what damage Snape did." Hermione practically spat the name out. She drew her wand and whispered a simple healing spell and the bruise on Draco's jaw disappeared.  
  
"God," said Draco, amazed. "Why don't they ever teach us something like that?"   
  
"Where else?" asked Hermione. She had suddenly turned into a saint with a mission, hard faced with determined eyes.  
  
"My ribs but it's okay." Hermione gently prodded them through his sweater with her wand.  
  
"Does that hurt?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," Draco admitted. Hermione helped Draco pull off his sweater and she lifted his shirt to reveal purple bruises like violet petals standing out against his pale skin, washing silver in the moonlight. Hermione healed them too.  
  
"Good thing they weren't broken," she muttered. "I think you've got some more on your side and back too." Draco ended up taking off his shirt and tossing it on the ground and Hermione tried to heal him the best she could.  
  
"You're still going to be sore," she said. "But it's going to be okay in a couple of days."   
  
"Thanks Hermione, really." Draco looked at Hermione and suddenly, they both noticed that they were sitting on a bed, dark, and alone. Hermione slightly bit her lip and Draco leaned down and kissed her. Better than I remembered it to be, thought Hermione. Draco pressed her down onto the bed and inside her head, fireworks were exploding. It felt like faeries were doing a mad dance in her head, icy fire raced through her veins. But when Draco started to unbutton her sweater, Hermione stopped him.   
  
"Draco," she said, softly. Draco was smart and he knew when not to push. If there was anything he knew from being with Pansy, it was not to push a girl. If he did, things could get ugly. He only kissed Hermione softly again then pulled on his shirt and sweater. Hermione checked to see if anyone was in the common room and told Draco to hurry and go. He left and Hermione walked over to her bed and collapsed on it. Wow. That was amazing, she thought. Who knew from all the people she could end up with, it would be Draco? Was this really even happening? For all she knew, Draco might even just be playing. her. But then Hermione remembered his bruises. No, he wasn't playing her, but Hermione still wondered if Draco really felt that light-headedness and short breath, and fireworks that she felt or if he was just caught up in the moment. Her mind lingered back to the bruises and she stood up, determined. There was a certain professor she needed to deal with.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
Snape had finally pulled himself back together and was turning the corner to get to his office when he saw that there was someone waiting for him in front of his office door.   
  
"Meetings only by schedule," he snapped.  
  
"I don't think so," hissed a voice back, just as angrily. The wild brown hair, thin, tall, it was Hermione. Snape wondered what had happened to bring her here.  
  
"I have a problem, Professor," said Hermione, in a mock, hurt voice. Snape ran his fingers through his black hair. It was too late for this.  
  
"What, Ms. Granger," he asked.  
  
"I have a problem with your discipline," she snapped. "What the hell were you thinking, Professor? I could turn you in right now and you'd get fired before you could say 'bloody hell'."   
  
"The boy needs to know where his boundaries are," said Snape, tiredly.   
  
"The 'boy' needs someone to trust."   
  
"Don't get yourself mixed up with the Malfoys, Hermione, you're only asking for trouble."   
  
"And you would know this how?"  
  
"You're danger to him, Hermione. The minute his father finds out, he will kill Draco." Hermione suddenly remembered what Draco had said in their first session. That his father would kill him if he failed. So that would mean that Lucius could kill for other reasons too?  
  
"His own son?" she asked.   
  
"Nothing matters to him," Snape said, spitting out the words harshly. "Only his reputation matters to him. I'm more of a father to the young Malfoy than Lucius ever will be." Hermione started to calm down, started to understand.  
  
"But you're protecting him in all the wrong ways."   
  
"I'm trying, don't you see that? I'm trying everything I can possibly do to keep that boy alive until he can live on his own." Snape rubbed his temples. Hermione suddenly did something out of impulse. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.   
  
"Thank you," she whispered. "Draco has the right to live, Lucius shouldn't take that away from him." Snape looked at Hermione surprised.   
  
"Keep things quiet," he said. "You might do something good in his life, but don't end his life before he's ready to."  
  
"I'm not planning to, sir," Hermione whispered. When Snape pulled her into a hug, Hermione didn't pull back.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
* awww...so snape's a softie! heehee...i made him nice 'cuz i think alan rickman in dogma was sooo hilarious and since he's snape and i like him so yeah...there you go... heehee 


	5. Don't hate me'cause i'm just that good

Disclaimer:No one belongs to me, they all belong to J.K. Rowling.  
  
Author's Notes:Aw, jeebus, i knew this was going to happen if i did this...everyone who is complaining about how disgusting snape and hermione is...READ ON and you can keep ur stomachs! heehee... oh, and thanks to everyone who reviewed (feeling too lazy to type them out)!  
  
A little paint to cover what's deep inside,  
A little truth, you know we all want to hide,  
Well I'm trying, I'm trying to get to you  
But you're telling me like you always do, you say  
Don't hate me, 'cause I'm just that good  
-The Calling  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Snape leaned down and kissed Hermione on the forehead, gently. Hermione suddenly felt warm and protected. Was this what the Slytherins felt? Is this why they idolized him so much? Not because he was so snappy all the time, because he had a sort of parental warmth? She knew that many Slytherins had come from broken homes or unloving parents. Was Snape the closest thing they ever had to a father? Hermione hugged Snape tightly.   
  
"Keep Draco safe, don't go killing him off," Snape warned. "I love that boy and I've kept him alive too many years to see that thrown away by some silly girl who got him distracted." Hermione giggled slightly, her laughed muffled in the folds of Snape's robes.   
  
"I'm serious," said Snape.   
  
"Then why doesn't Lucius kill you instead?" asked Hermione.   
  
"He can't," Snape said, sounding almost relieved. "Dumbledore has his hand on my shoulder and Lucius knows that." Hermione wondered what Snape could have possibly done to have Dumbledore completely on his side but she didn't press him.   
  
"Thank you," she whispered. "He may need a friend but he needs a father to love him more." Snape frowned.  
  
"It's late, if any of the prefects catch you, you'll have points taken from Gryffindor."   
  
"I am a prefect." Snape looked surprised.  
  
"All of you have grown up so fast." Snape almost sounded like a grandfather who was talking regretfully to his grandchildren. Hermione raised her eyebrows. Sure Snape wanting to protect Draco was reasonable but she didn't know his softness spread to even...Gryffindors. Suddenly Snape scowled, his old sourness back.   
  
"Thank God too," he said. "I wouldn't have been able to stand more of you." Hermione grinned.   
  
"G'nite to you too, Professor Snape." Snape waved distractedly, heading into his office.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Hermione went back the the Gryffindor common room, wanting so much to tell someone, anyone, of Snape's ability to love. Everyone believed him to be some loveless guy who's life revolved around torturing students but he was different, waaaay different from that. The common room was dark except for a fireplace and seemingly empty but....  
  
"Where were you?" asked Harry. He was curled up on a large, velvet red armchair, a crimson blanket draped around him for warmth. The nights were getting cooler these days.   
  
"I...was....out."   
  
"Hermione," Harry said, frowning. "Ron and I are worried about you. You've never skipped class and never wandered the halls of Hogwarts after dark, unless with us of course, and now you won't even tell me the truth."  
  
"I couldn't sleep," she snapped. "I needed a walk."   
  
"Is there something you need to share, Hermione?" Harry asked softly. Damn, he was good, thought Hermione. He was really good. Harry had a way of prying out someone's secrets and the other person would never know. He'd just look at you with those piercing green eyes until you start to babble all of your thoughts out. But not this time. Never.   
  
"It's late and I'm tired, Harry, good night." Hermione turned and walked up the winding stairs to her room before she could catch a glimpse of Harry's hurt face. When Hermione reached her room, she wiggled her toes into her fur rug, sighing. It was late and she was tired. Too much had happened that night. She collapsed onto her bed and suddenly jolted right back up. She grabbed a pillow and smelled it deeply, sure enough, it smelt like Draco. Hermione slowly leaned back down and clutched the pillow. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, dreaming of roses and cosmic sugar plums.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"I'm bored, teacher," said Draco, raising his eyebrows at Hermione. It was another tutoring session, another useless tutoring session actually.   
  
"I'm your tutor, not a dancing bear," said Hermione, sounding more irratated than she actually felt.   
  
"Oh let's go to class. I wouldn't want to miss another great history lecture." Hermione groaned.  
  
"What? You don't love history? I thought you loved every subject," said Draco, acting surprised.  
  
"Everything we've studied is about the wrong moves someone makes and how everyone else has to try and fix it."   
  
"Does the professor know how you feel?" Hermione shrugged.  
  
"I don't think Professor Binns really cares." Draco shrugged.  
  
"What?" demanded Hermione. "What do you expect me to do?" Draco only shrugged again with a slight smile on his face. Hermione groaned and pulled him by the arm, trying to ignore the sparks she felt when she made contact with him.   
  
"Come on, Granger, this is a one hundred percent cashemere sweater, worth at least ten galleons," said Draco, ruining what had started to become a dangerously civil conversation. Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"It's okay," she said. "Daddy can buy you a new one if this one gets stretched out of shape."   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Draco didn't know how he'd face his savior again. When he thought about the night before, Draco felt uncomfortable. He knew that somehow Hermione had dealt with Snape. He was like a princess trapped in a tower, abused by his stepmother while Hermione went out to slay the demons and come back, ablaze in glory. But would they live happily ever after? Draco thought about that sweetness he felt and tasted when he kissed Hermione and he couldn't help but let a smile creep onto his usually bored expression. Bored? Yesterday definately was not boring. Something had just clicked there and Draco couldn't help wanting to explore that connection a little deeper...without thinking, he walked into Professor Binn's class and sat down right next to Hermione. People around them looked at Hermione and Draco interestedly. Shit, Draco thought. How the hell was he supposed to explain this?  
  
"So Granger, you think you might be able to bring up my grades?" he asked loudly. Hermione stared hard at him. Draco tried to show her that he was only trying to cover for his mistake. He wasn't sure whether he had mentally given that message to Hermione or not, her dark eyes were to emotionless to tell.   
  
"You might be able to actually pass, Draco," she answered, equally loud. Her voice dripped boredom. "Without your daddy paying you through. All you have to do is study harder...and quit checking yourself out in the mirror." A low ripple of giggles washed through the Gryffindors. Draco leaned back on his chair, undisturbed. He had set himself up for that. But he caught sight of the smirking Gryffindors and felt anger flare up. It was going to be a long class.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Professor Binns looked up distractedly and called everyone to class. He immediately launched into a lecture of Bogwins, a wizard who made the fatal mistake of letting Yvulda the Third take care of his goats. In time, Yvulda, backed by an army of angry goats, led a rebellion against Bogwins, overthrowing him.   
  
"What do you think of Bogwins, Ms. Granger?" asked Professor Binns, eagerly, waiting for another one of Hermione's insightful thoughts. Before she could stop, Hermione said, "Personally, Professor Binns, with all due respect, I think that Bogwins was a dipshit." There, she had put exactly what she felt into words. She gave Draco a sidelong glance and found that he was looking at her, impressed.   
  
"Can you verify that statement, Ms. Granger?" Professor Binns lips were pulled tight and he didn't look happy. Hermione shrugged.  
  
"I was just thinking that it would be nice to study someone smart for a change. All we ever study are people who make silly mistakes. Why not study someone with wisdom so we can learn from them and not from their mistakes?" The class stared, stunned, at Hermione. Then, amazingly, Professor Binns nodded and clapped softly with his ghost hands.  
  
"Well put, Hermione," he said. "Maybe you can come up with someone admirable for us to study next." Hermione nodded.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Well, it started out okay," said Draco. He laughed slightly. "A dipshit, that was classic."   
  
"I did what you told me to do-"  
  
"But somehow you manage to turn things your way. Only Hermione Granger could do that." And it was true. Only she could, with her magic touch, change something foul into something desirable. She turns sickness into pleasure, garbage into gold. She was King Midas but she would never make the foolish mistake Midas had. She would continue to be a goddess, above the normal crowd. Draco almost felt a pang. Would someone such as she ever desire anything? Well, someone's getting poetic lately...  
  
"It's a gift," said Hermione, with a grin. Draco shrugged and quickly walked in front of her.  
  
"Divination next," he said. Hermione looked at Draco's back, which was rapidly disappearing through throngs of Hogwarts students.  
  
"Next session, don't be late." Draco slightly waved without turning and completely disappeared. Hermione still hadn't gone back to Divination classes ever since that time she walked out in her fourth year. She still thought it was a bunch of crap and she sure wasn't heading back to Professor Trelawny anytime soon. She started towards the library to catch up on her studying.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"What has gotten into you, 'Mione?" asked Ron. He was bewildered. "First you skip class, then you stay out late, now you're swearing to the profs?"   
  
"I'm just doing what I feel like doing," siad Hermione. She took a big bite out of her sandwich and refused to say anymore. Ron just shook his head and gathered his things.  
  
"Coming Harry?"   
  
"In a minute." Harry turned to Ron and gave Hermione a look.   
  
"Well? What are you hiding, Hermione? I know you're hiding something."  
  
"Don't hate me Harry," said Hermione, with a shrug. "But I'm not going to tell you because there's nothing to tell." And I'm just that good, she thought. Harry looked completely taken aback.  
  
"When you feel like talking to me, you know I'll be around." He patted Hermione on the shoulder and left, walking after Ron. Hermione watched him go, feeling a little lonely. She felt hands on her shoulders and Hermione whirled around. It was Draco.  
  
"Where's the rest of the golden group?" he questioned. Hermione shrugged again.   
  
"I don't know. Gone." Draco gave her his melting smile. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.   
  
"Hmm..how 'bout another lesson then?"   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
*Hermione's certainly letting her hair down...and looksee? I hope you guys didn't mind this sorta boring chappy...the next one's gonna be better :) the yule ball's coming up...and everyone's gonna wonder...what goes on after the actual ball? heehee...i hope u guys are liking this so far... :) thanks for readings! 


	6. Bets and Kisses

Disclaimer:Everyone belongs to J.K. Rowling! No one belongs to me!   
  
Author's Notes: Yay! I luv you all who reviewed! I was worried that the chappy four had misled a lot of people (which it did) but just to tell u all, i nvr really meant for that to happen...or maybe I did...oh i don't know! my brains not working right now :) thank you thank you thank you to everyone who reviewed! ah...the yule ball....i luv this time of year....heehee...thanks and big hugs to all of u! *hug* oh, and thanks to Genuine for pointing out that Hermione did leave divination third year rather than fourth, sorry for the mistake :) my brain's not working...   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
That time of year was just around the corner, the presents, the mistletoe, the food, the kissing, the stockings... Around this time, the girls at Hogwarts take out their fishnet tights to wear underneath their misleading, innocent robes, added a little more sparkle to their faces, and wear those delicious cashmere sweaters that they splurged all their summer job money on. They want to look as cute and sexy as possible, after all, no one wants to be alone beneath a mistletoe! And the boys...ahhh....the sweet Hogwarts boys always red cheeked from running outside in the cold, wearing those soft sweaters and scarves that their mother had sent them to keep them warm, smelling of fresh air. Around this time more people gather in the common rooms, around a bright fire sipping warm mochas and ciders, and what's extra special about this time of year is that girls and boys start to check each other out...to find someone to go with to the Yule Ball! Christmas is just around the corner and everyone is making sure that they won't be the last one standing without a partner.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Hermione, are you in?" asked Parvati.  
  
"In on what?" Hermione discreetly checked her watch. She had to go see Draco again soon and just thinking about it made her feel light headed.  
  
"The sixth year Gryffindor girls have made two bets," said Lavender, sounding surprised that Hermione didn't know. She looked down her nose at Hermione, condescendingly. Dammit, I don't have time for this, thought Hermione.  
  
"What are the bets?" she asked. Parvati and Lavender each grabbed one of Hermione's arms and led her to a sofa and plopped her down, sitting down next to her. Parvati leaned in as if she was about to tell something top secret...well, in Parvati's case it would be.   
  
"The first one is who will snag the biggest biscuit." Hermione's eyebrows knit together in puzzlement. Parvati smoothed her short, wool skirt over her legs and picked an invisible lint ball from the skirt and flicked it.   
  
"Who's going to get the hottest guy to ask them!" squealed Lavender.   
  
"Lavender!" cried Parvati. They both exchanged a look and quieted down.   
  
"No one but the girls know about this," said Lavender, while Parvati nodded vigorously, causing her dark plaits to bounce. Surprising after all these years that Parvati kept her thick dark hair in two braids. Hermione checked her watch again. She hated talking to Parvati and Lavender. It made her feel as if her brain was rotting.   
  
"What's the second bet?" Parvati and Lavender looked at each other then Parvati nodded and leaned so close that Hermione nearly chocked on Parvati's sickly sweet perfume.   
  
"Who's going to do it this year." When Hermione didn't react, both Parvati and Lavender let out a disgusted sound.  
  
"We're sixth years, Hermione," said Lavender, exasperated. "You have to do it sometime, and what better time than sweet sixteen?"   
  
"I'd love to sit and chat some more but I really have to go," said Hermione, sarcastically.  
  
"So are you in?" Both girls looked at Hermione with big, bright eyes. Hermione suddenly felt a smile creep to her face. Who knew? Maybe this would be fun.  
  
"Sure."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"That's crazy," said Draco, leaning back on his chair, hands behind his head.   
  
"I know!" cried Hermione. The librarian glared at her. Of course Draco could say anything and get away with it. He could probably even run through the library without a shirt on and the librarian would probably thank him. She was hopelessly in love with Draco, much like every other girl in the school.  
  
"But you said you were in?" Draco asked, eyebrows raised. Hermione shrugged.  
  
"I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. Besides, it kind of sounds like fun." Draco grinned.  
  
"Then you're crazy too," he said. "Granger is barking mad!" Several people looked up and many of the Slytherins smirked. Hermione, rather than burying her bright red face into her hands, looked up and grinned right back.  
  
"I know I'm crazy," said Hermione.   
  
"So, do you have any one in mind going with?" asked Draco, suddenly quiet and leaning forward. Hermione looked at his eyes and realized she couldn't quite look away from those pale blue eyes, darkened into a deep blue by his emotions. It would have been almost creepy had not Draco been so hot.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Draco held his breath. What would Granger say? Would she tell him she was going with Harry? Or worse, Ron?  
  
"No one yet," said Hermione. Draco silently let out his breathful of air.   
  
"But I have to get the hottest guy at school, then I win the bet."  
  
"What are you guys exactly betting on?" Hermione shrugged.  
  
"Various things. Some girls are giving up some clothing, I think others are putting in money, who ever wins the bets gets all the stuff the other girls put in." Draco whistled softly.  
  
"Nice. You really have to win this." Hermione grinned  
  
"And how am I going to do that?" she asked, crossing her arms looking at him pointedly.   
  
"Easy, go with me." Ooh, sexy...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. He couldn't have possibly just asked her...could he have? Hermione was clutching at her skirt, short again, tightly.   
  
"I'd love to but I can't. We can't. Draco, you can't forget, everyone's going to see us there, someone's bound to tell your dad." Draco's eyes darkened slighty.  
  
"I don't care what he thinks, I can live my life the way I want to," he said, harshly.  
  
"You can't live your life when you're dead," Hermione reminded. Draco grinned up at her, his fair lashes slightly covering his eyes, bright again.  
  
"You know, if it weren't for you, I'd probably would have been killed by my father a hundred times."  
  
"But I really would want to go with you." Draco looked thoughtful.  
  
"Bring someone useless along," he said. Hermoine frowned.  
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
"Bring someone like Potter along. That way you can ditch him halfway through the ball and he won't care because you guys are friends." Hermione nodded slightly.  
  
"That could work," she said.   
  
"Of course it will," scoffed Draco. "I thought it up." Before Hermione could roll her eyes, Draco, making sure no one in the library was watching, leaned forward and kissed her very softly and sweetly on the lips.   
  
"Okay then, Granger, I'll see you next week," he said loudly. Then he leaned in close again.  
  
"By the way," he said, a smile playing on his face. "I like your skirt better that way." Hermione blushed red, pleased though she would probably not admit it until late that night, and tugged her black wool skirt down so that it covered more of her exposed thigh.  
  
"Until next time." He saluted her as if he was a soldier and sauntered away with the eyes of every girl in the library on him. Hermione collapsed back into her chair. She couldn't believe she fell for Draco....and she fell for him hard. Be careful hun, make sure you don't hit the bottom.....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Um, Hermione?" said Ron. She was trying to get all her books together. She had gotten to the common room late because she had sat there in the library for a while...dreaming of a certain sex god...  
  
"Can I talk to you?"   
  
"Look Ron, is this going to take awhile?" she asked, distractedly. There was her stupid Arthithmancy book. She grabbed it and shoved it into her bookbag.   
  
"Maybe then I'd could speak to you...privately?"   
  
"Sure Ron, but I gotta go, I'm running late." Ron nodded, eagerly.   
  
"Okay then, talk to you later?" Hermione waved over her shoulder as she dashed out of the common room. It was when she was halfway to her class when Ron's words registered in her mind. Talk to her? Privately??? Oh no, thought Hermione. There you go, I told you to be careful... Hermione stopped, causing a random second year to bump into her.  
  
"Sorry," she said, brushing her hair out of her eyes. The second year dashed away. Hermione started for the nearest girls bathroom; she couldn't deal with class right now. She turned and went into a completely empty girl's bathroom and turned on the water. She cupped her hands underneath the cool water and splashed her face.  
  
"Who goes there?" cried a shrill voice. Shit, thought Hermione. Of all the bathrooms...she picked the one with....  
  
"Hello Myrtle."   
  
"Hermione?!" Hermione couldn't tell whether Myrtle was outraged or happy to see her. Myrtle blinked from behind her thick glasses and checked behind Hermione.  
  
"Where's Potter?" she asked, sadly.  
  
"Not here, Myrtle. This is a girl's bathroom, remember?" Myrtle sighed and sat down...or floated on the sink next to where Hermione was standing.   
  
"So what are you up to, 'Mione?" asked Myrtle. Hermione shrugged.  
  
"The Yule Ball's coming up."   
  
"Ooooh." Myrtle's gray eyes lighted up then suddenly dulled. "I never got asked...who are you going with?"  
  
"I don't know yet." Hermione wanted to leave but she knew that leaving would probably send Myrtle into tears.   
  
"Any one ask?"   
  
"Draco did, actually." Hermione didn't really mind that Myrtle would know, after all, who would she tell? Myrtle hissed.  
  
"So what are you doing, Hermione? Coming in here to brag to poor ugly Myrtle about all the people who has asked her to the Yule Ball while NO ONE'S ASKED MYRTLE?!" Hermione swore under her breath.  
  
"Myrtle," Hermione said sweetly. "I have to go now, bye." Hermione quickly left and got into her class...just in time to get herself ten points taken off for being late.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Harry! You have to do me a favor!" Hermione said, pulling Harry's sweater sleeve and pushing him down forcefully on a seat. She practically sat on his lap, trying to tell Harry everything before Ron came along. She earned a couple of interested grins from some boys passing by and Hermione, disgusted, tried to pull down her skirt a little more.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, surprised. Of course he'd be surprised, he's never been mowed over by Hermione before.   
  
"Take me to the Yule Ball."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Take me to the Yule Ball Harry! I really need you to! Ron's going to ask me and I can't go with him!"   
  
"Why can't you, 'Mione? You went with him last year."   
  
"He asked me in front of everyone, just 'Hey Hermione, let's go to the Yule Ball.' This year it's different Harry. He said, 'Can I speak to you privately?' I can't deal with this Harry!" Hermione must have look extremely crazed because Harry gave in.  
  
"Oh fine, Hermione. But you do know I'm missing a lot of dates because of you." Hermione playfully smacked him and finally got off of him.   
  
"You're a good friend, Harry," she said.  
  
"Maybe too good," Harry muttered, getting himself another good smack.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Draco watched them from across the room. He suddenly found himself wishing he was Harry, that he was being pinned down by an absolute goddess. Draco sighed and pushed his flaxen hair from his eyes. Pansy started up towards him.  
  
"Draco, I hope you haven't decided what to wear yet because I need you to match me."   
  
"Sorry, Pansy, but haven't you heard? I'm flying solo this time." Pansy looked at him, then smiled.  
  
"You're so funny."   
  
"Talk to you later." Draco stood up, picked up his bookbag, and walked away, thinking so hard he didn't even relish Pansy's stunned face. As he walked by Hermione, he made a hearing spell and whispered into Hermione's ear, "Meet me in the empty classroom 202." And they discreetly met. Draco grinned as the door closed behind them. He put his arms around Hermione and Hermione leaned in close to smell the now familiar Draco smell.   
  
"You never greeted me that enthusiastically."   
  
"So you've been watching me?" Hermione looked at him, an eyebrow cocked with amusement. Whoa, thought Draco. She's getting good, getting good fast. He leaned down and kissed her.  
  
"Don't flatter yourself," he said in a whisper that made Hermione want to scream and jump on Draco.....but then again, don't we all? They were in silence for a few minutes, just content in whispering secrets through their lips and kisses. Finally, Draco broke away.   
  
"So, what are you wearing for the ball?"   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
*Ah, I love the Yule Ball! the next chappy will actually be on the Yule ball......but more importantly, on the parties after the ball.....heehee, thanks for reading guys, please R&R! 


	7. The Yule Ball!

Disclaimer:Still not mine...  
Author's Notes: Yay! it's turkey break which means I'll either get to it and like put out a chappy every day or I'll get lazy and not put out any chappies at all, heehee....big hugs to everyone who reviewed, i luv u all! really! heehee.....i was just watching roman holiday, i luv that movie! audrey's so adorable and the dude (i forget his name) is hot! heehee....anyhoo....watch the movie if you haven't seen it! ooh, wild parties people! think prom night...what's more special? the uptight school prom or the wild parties afterwards? exactly...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Hermione giggled, light-headed, as Draco had pulled her down onto one of the desks. Things were just getting good when the lunch break bell rang across the corridors of Hogwarts.  
  
"Oh shit," Hermione whispered. Draco leaned down and kissed her again.  
  
"It won't hurt to be a little late."   
  
"But we'll get in trouble."   
  
"And...?" Hermione grinned.  
  
"And that sounds like fun."   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Hey Harry, have you found anyone to go to the Yule Ball with yet?" asked Ron, catching up with Harry. Harry looked away, trying somewhat to hide his blush and shifted from one foot to another.  
  
"I'm not too sure yet," he said, finally. "But I'm sure you'll find a good date." Ron frowned.  
  
"That's the thing, Harry. This time I want someone fun to go with. I know you've been going with Parvati for the past couple of years and you made me go with Lavender just because they're friends but honestly, that girl is so dim. Not even that good looking."  
  
"Ron!" said Harry. Ron grinned and ran his fingers through his bright hair.   
  
"Then have you anyone in mind?" asked Harry. He was wishing, actually more like praying, that Ron wouldn't say who he was thinking of right now.  
  
"I...don't know yet." Harry blew out a silent breath of relief.   
  
"Maybe you should ask...Pansy. I heard Draco's going solo and she doesn't have a date," said Harry, teasingly. Ron looked at Harry as if he had grown a second head, then started to laugh.  
  
"I don't know what it is but lately your sense of humor has grown, Harry." Harry took a deep breath and gathered some courage.  
  
"Well, find a date quick because Hermione and I need to know what we're planning on doing." Ron stopped completely in his tracks.  
  
"You and Hermione?" he asked, incredulously. Harry winced slightly.  
  
"She didn't want any pressure of going with anyone that she didn't know that well," said Harry, pathetically. "She said she wanted to go with a casual friend, that's all." Ron shrugged slightly.  
  
"Oh."   
  
"So you have no idea who to go to the ball with?" asked Harry, trying to be bright once more. Ron slunk away and waved over his shoulder.  
  
"I'm not sure if I'm going yet, Harry," he said. "I'm not really in the mood for dancing, you know?" Harry watched Ron walk away, shoulders slumped and head down.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Do we even have to bother going to class?" asked Hermione. She sat up straighter and pulled down her skirt. Draco shrugged.  
  
"Completely up to you, I guess. I couldn't care." Hermione shrugged too, leaned up at gave Draco a soft kiss.   
  
"So, who are you going with? You probably know I'm going with Harry." Draco grinned.   
  
"I'm going by myself."   
  
"Surprising. The famous bad-boy without a date? Wouldn't that bring down your image?" Draco smirked.  
  
"I thought you'd know by now, nothing can bring down my image." A month ago, Hermione would have slapped Draco for saying that. Now, she tilted her head up to receive another kiss.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
It was the day of the ball. Hermione had gotten up and she knew it was not going to be an easy day. First of all, she could hear Lavender and Parvati squealing the room across her's. She groggily got out of bed and slipped her feet into her slippers, yawning.   
  
"Can you please keep it down?" she snapped, poking her head out through the door. Parvati and Lavender rushed over, looking sympathetic.   
  
"Hermione?" Parvati simpered. "We have to tell you something, and it's coming from us completely as friends." Hermione's eyebrows raised up, unimpressed but nonetheless stayed.  
  
"You know Ron was going to ask you, right?" asked Lavender, leaning close. She smelled just like her name, and her hair was wet from washing. Hermione shrugged.   
  
"You must have heard something," she pressed. Parvati blew a sigh of relief.   
  
"Well, that's good then. You didn't get your hopes up. This morning Ron went and asked Pansy to the Yule Ball! Can you believe it? And she said yes!" Hermione blinked at Lavender and Parvati, wondering if this was some sort of joke. Obviously, it wasn't. Harry's voice called up from the bottom of the stairs,   
  
"HERMIONE! WE HAVE TO TALK!" Hermione frowned and Parvati and Lavender put their sympathetic faces on again.  
  
"Does that mean you're going by yourself, Hermione? Because I'm sure perhaps Neville will take you." Hermione smirked, unknowingly mirroring Draco's irresistable expression.   
  
"I think Harry will do just fine." Parvati's jaw dropped so fast that Hermione was sure she could hear it clonk on the floor. Hermione hurried down the stairs and Lavender and Parvati talked in hushed voices.   
  
"You think she meant my Harry? The one I've been going with since...since fourth year for crissakes! I can't believe her! Hermione Granger is a wench!" Hermione grinned. It takes one to be one, my dear, she thought.   
  
"Harry, you're in trouble with Parvati," said Hermione. Harry shook his head.  
  
"No, we're both in trouble, Hermione. We have to have dinner with Pansy!" Hermione blinked.   
  
"So Parvati and Lavender were right, for once," she said. Harry shook his head.   
  
"I can't believe it. And I was kidding too when I told him to take Pansy. And what on earth was she thinking saying yes?!" Hermione cocked her brow.  
  
"I don't know, Harry, maybe Ron has some secret charm that Slytherin girls can't resist." Harry cracked up.   
  
"So what is this about me being in trouble with Parvati?" Hermione grinned and leaned forward, her face close to Harry's.  
  
"She thinks I stole you from her and has now deemed me a wench." Harry's mouth opened in amazement.  
  
"And that doesn't bother you?" he asked.  
  
"It makes me sound bad, doesn't it?" said Hermione, still grinning. Harry shook his head, his shaggy hair swinging across his forehead.  
  
"You have no idea."   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Hermione was in her room, candles lighted to keep her calm. She pulled on her dress robe. Actually, minus out the robe part. It was dress really. All shimmery, beautiful. Hermione almost didn't want to wear it because she was afraid she'd get something on it. Her hair was purposefully messy, her high heeled sandals glittered in the candlelight. Hermione looked at herself in the gilded full length mirror. She was no longer a bookworm; she had transformed into a dangerous sex goddess. Hermione grinned to herself. This was going to be a fun night.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"You look nice, Hermione," said Harry. He looked worried. Probably the thought of having dinner with Pansy was taking its toll on him. Hermione pushed him slightly.   
  
"I know I do, you don't have to remind me." Harry rolled his eyes and pushed her back.   
  
"You know I'll leave you if you keep saying stuff like that."  
  
"You know you can't." That sparked a smile from Harry.  
  
"Ron's meeting us at the dining hall. He's reserved a table for us...and Pansy." Harry's normally pale skin absolutely blanched at the thought.  
  
"Calm down," said Hermione. "How bad could she be?" Famous last words.   
  
"Hermione," said Pansy, looking her up and down. Pansy was dressed in a sort of black leather, skin tight, dress. Well, it would be a dress if it wasn't so short. It made her look absolutely...well....gross. But obviously Pansy thought she was really something. Give a girl leather and they all think that they're sex kittens.   
  
"It's okay," she said, condescendingly. "We both know that well....guys don't like your sort of looks but you're smart, right?" Harry glanced quickly at Hermione, who was stirring her straw quite vigorously around and around in her glass of water. Ron looked noticeably uncomfortable but relaxed when he and Harry started talking, leaving Hermione and Pansy to make conversation. Let the claws spring out and the war begin.  
  
"So where did you get that dress? I mean, we all know you don't exactly have a figure but that really does make the most of your body." Hermione clenched her teeth slightly.  
  
"I know I'm hot but could you please stop checking me out? It's making me nervous," she said, leaving Pansy looking disgusted and angry. Pansy finally lapsed into a silence, picking at her food, complaining about how it was going to make her fat.  
  
"You're right, Pansy you really should be worrying," said Hermione. "I mean, we all know you have that sort of figure that kind of just gains and doesn't lose, right?" she added, sarcastically. "Especially in those problem areas like your arms and stomach." Pansy jumped, surprised and tried to discreetly check to see if there were any fat on her stomach or arms.   
  
"I think we can start dancing now," said Hermione. She was sick and tired of Pansy's goading, Ron's quick glances in her direction, and Harry's nervous coughs. She grabbed Harry's hand and practically dragged him onto the ballroom floor. The chandeliers were absolutely glittering, the music was soft and slow, flowers adorned every corner of the chamber.  
  
"Sorry," said Harry.  
  
"You wanna show you're sorry? Get Pansy some real clothes," scoffed Hermione.   
  
"Hey, you were the one who said that she couldn't be that bad," protested Harry.  
  
"That's before I actually talked to her." They were quiet for awhile, Hermione's head on Harry's shoulder, his arms around her waist, circling slowly. Hermione started to close her eyes when movement from the corner of her vision made her open them up quickly. She tried to steer their dancing so that she could look over Harry's shoulder who it was.   
  
The great doors opened and Draco walked in, looking like a sex god....oh wait, sorry, he is a sex god. He was dressed to match Hermione although no one would notice if they kept apart. His hair was tousled and glinting pale gold in the candlelight. His eyes were twinkling and his strut was no longer annoying, rather, it was something to be worshipped. He was something to be worshipped. Hermione locked eyes with Draco and Draco gave her a wink. Hermione felt her knees going slightly weak...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Th minute Draco walked in, he scanned the room, looking for Hermione. There she was, dancing with Harry. God, she was beautiful. She was like a 50's glamour girl, all sparkling with diamonds, silky smooth satin, curled hair. She was like a goddess, shimmering in soft light. He would do anything to be Harry right now but he couldn't. He looked over the rest of the room and almost burst out loud laughing when he saw Pansy chatting away with a ver bored looking Ron. Draco was about to move to someplace where he and Hermione could have a discreet conversation but immediately, several girls walked up to ask him for a dance. Draco smiled charmingly at each and every one of them but never did he really meet their eyes. His eyes were always wandering to a cetain other person.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Finally, Hermione broke away.   
  
"Hey Harry, I think I'm going to step outside for awhile, I'm tired and if I dance with you one more time, Parvati's going to kill me." Harry smiled and hugged Hermione and kissed her on the cheek.   
  
"See you later." The minute Hermione left, Parvati came slithering up like a snake. Hermione felt bad for leaving Harry with her but hey, a girl has to have her fun, right? She managed to catch Draco's eyes before leaving and waited outside in the hall. Draco disentangled himself from the crowd and saluted them.  
  
"See you guys at the house parties." He found Hermione waiting, looking impatient.   
  
"So, what's new?" asked Draco, his arms encircling around Hermione's waist.   
  
"Well," said Hermione, looking thoughtful. "I'm now a wench in some girl's books, I had to listen to Pansy chatter all through dinner, and Ron won't stop oogling at me." Draco laughed.  
  
"But I think someone can make it better..." Hermione looked at Draco expectantly and Draco looked teasingly innocent.  
  
"Dumbledore is a good person to talk to when you're angry or confused," said Draco, with a straight face. Hermione rolled her eyes, smirked, and pulled Draco's head down to meet her lips.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
The Gryffindor common room was packed. Somehow it had managed to become the place to be after or during the Yule Ball this year. Last year it had been Ravenclaw, the year before that Slytherin. Now it was Gryffindor's turn. Someone had managed to get past the the teachers some champagne and beer and it was being passed around. Draco brought out two glasses and poured Hermione some Scotch. They toasted and drank. Either everyone was too drunk too notice or they were too busy to notice Hermione and Draco in their own little corner. Chairs were being thrown, Colin Creevy was tossed up in the air and hands caught him as he was carried along. Some guys were wrestling in the center of the common room. In short, it was complete chaos...but totally fun. Some kids in the far side of the room had started a drinking game, other kids were gambling. Maybe it was the alcohal, or maybe the absense of teachers, or maybe the fact that they were each wearing clothes that cost a fortune but the atmosphere was just right and it was bringing out the wildest in each Hogwarts student.   
Hermione tugged on Draco's hand, pulling him up the staircase, into her room. They stumbled into her room and Hermione giggled. The Scotch she had pounded had gone straight to her head. Candles were automatically lit, and the red wax dripped over the edge of the candle. The fine Scotch spilled all over the white carpets and rich red rugs as Draco and Hermione tumbled over each other onto the bed. They kissed and once they started, they found it quite hard to stop. And this time when Draco reached for Hermione's zipper to her dress, she didn't stop him.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Where's Hermione?" asked Ron, over the rucus. Harry motioned that he didn't know. McGonagall was going to be quite pissed when she sees the state the common room was in. It was a complete mess, things were being broken, spilled, and wrecked. Ron gave Harry a look that quite plainly said, why us? It would be McGonagall that would have to be drunk to take this all in without exploding. But Harry couldn't help feeling the music, feeling the beat, and most definately feeling alive. Someone handed him a glass of something amber. He drank it down.  
  
"That's the way, my man," some random guy said, patting Harry on the back. But don't worry, everyone, Harry's a smart boy. He's had his fun but sometimes he just had to draw the line before he got hurt. The minute Harry felt that things were starting to go out of his control, he and Ron made their bedrooms, trying to get away from the noise for a short while. But when they were there, Harry and Ron both got quite a shocker.......  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Hermione lay half asleep, half awake with Draco asleep next to her. Her head felt heavy and they were laying among tangled sheets and pillows. It was late and finally someone had managed to throw everyone out of the room and it was finally quiet. The moonlight came in through her curtains onto Draco, alluminating his skin and hair. He looked so sweet and innocent sleeping, Hermione couldn't help kissing him softly on the corner of his mouth. Draco's eyelids fluttered opened and looked down at Hermione. He kissed her again and pulled her into his arms. Hermione fell asleep with a smile on her face.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
*So what exactly shocked Ron and Harry in their room? Well...if you had been reading carefully enough, you might find out! Heehee, you won't know until the next chappy! muahahaha! heehee.....I just luv the yule ball and all those rebellious hogwarts students..... 


	8. Forbidden Love

Disclaimer:Not mine....still.....  
  
Author's Notes: Augh! I really do luv all of you who reviewed, honestly! wowie! eighty-seven reviews?? *faints* i never thought i'd see that number in my stats column thingymajig but there it is like two number like thingys like..um..things.....ah, i think i've gone completely bonkers which is probably because my english prof has selfishly put the finals on monday so i hafta study all turkey break, grrr...not that i've exactly been studying, heehee.. but hugs to all of u! and thanks for reading! hope u guys like this chappy, and yes...a certain annoying person gets involved....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
It was morning and Draco woke up dazily, surprised that he was still next to Hermione. Before he had fallen back asleep, he had convinced himself that this was a dream, a beautiful, wonderful dream. But it wasn't. He turned over and slowly kissed Hermione's forehead gently. The sun was starting to rise, coloring the sky in blush pinks and cream oranges. Hermione mumbled quietly in her sleep and snuggled next to Draco, putting her head on his chest. Draco closed his eyes too. It was only dawn. They had the whole day in front of them.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
When Hermione woke up, realization hit her suddenly and panic started to bubble inside of her. Oh god, what would she tell her mom? and how would she be able to keep this a secret from Harry and Ron? But then Hermione looked over at Draco, who's lean body stretched out next to her like a cat and the panic started to subside. She did it and it was absolutely and completely her choice.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
KNOCK KNOCK! Hermione jumped up in surprise.   
  
"Hermione Granger, open the door this instant!" Hermione jumped out of bed and quickly put on her robe. Draco rolled off the bed and went underneath it, concealed. Hermione opened it and swore silently under her breath. There standing in front of her was Professor McGonagall, looking angry. Professor McGonagall's eyes expertly scanned the room. She saw the tangled sheets and pillows half on the bed, half on the floor, the spilled, blood- red wax of the candle hardened on the carpet and rugs, the Scotch also spilled, champagne glasses thrown in haste. Hermione swore again, silently, when she saw a bit of Draco's robes peeking from the side of the bed. Please, please don't let McGonagall see the, prayed Hermione. But Professor McGonagall didn't need to see them to confirm her suspicions. The scent of alcohal- and the feeling of love- was thick in the air.   
  
"Get dressed, Ms. Granger, and come to my office immediately. And if you happen to run into Mr. Malfoy, which i highly doubt you won't, bring him with you," she snapped. Professor McGonagall turned sharply on one heel and left. Hermione closed the door and leaned against it, then, unexpectantly, a giggle started to bubble from inside her throat and escaped. Draco came back out from under the bed and Hermione ran to him, knocking him back onto the bed.   
  
"We're in trouble," he whispered into Hermione's ear. Ah, that delicious smell and feel of his skin. Hermione kissed him for a while, suddenly realized something. She got onto her knees and checked by her headboard of her bed.   
  
"Shit," she muttered, suddenly realizing a mistake she had made.   
  
"What?" Draco came from behind her, his arms encircling her waist, mouth close to her ear.   
  
"I forgot to turn off the sound bug." Oh, so that was what greeted Harry and Ron in thier bedroom...uh oh. Draco chuckled and kissed her again, softly, just brushing his lips against the skin of her neck.  
  
"It's okay. People were going to find out sooner or later." Hermione giggled and turned around to face Draco. She loved the way he licked her lips, like licking the salt off the rim of a margerita glass.   
  
"Let's go before McGonagall gets even more angry," she said. She pulled on a skirt and a rumpled blouse and hurriedly ran a brush through her hair. Draco, having nothing else to wear but his dress robes, borrowed from Hermione some shorts and shirts that Hermione had taken from Harry and Ron to wear because they were comfy. Ron's clothes were too long for even Draco's lanky form but Harry's fit him quite nicely.   
  
"The bad-boy resident of Hogwarts wearing golden-boy's clothes? I never thought I'd see the day," said Hermione. Draco pulled her back onto the bed and both of them conviently forgot that at that very moment, Professor McGonagall was fuming in her office, along with some other people.....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Where is my boy? I want to see him this instant!" demanded Lucius.  
  
"He's coming, Lucius, patience is a virtue," said Snape, silkily. Professor McGonagall refused to join their bickering and kept to tapping her fingers impatiently.  
  
"The girl is late," she said. "And so is the boy." Finally, Hermione and Draco tumbled through the door, both looking relaxed, not knowing the enormity of the situation. Then, Draco's eyes settled on his father and he blanched. Hermione squeezed Draco's hand for support and Draco smiled in gratitude but dropped her hand. His father would kill him if he saw him lay a finger on a mudblood.   
  
"Draco Malfoy," said Lucius, his voice quiet and whispery, just like a snake's. So condescending, luring people into a sense of security then attacking the minute thier guards are down. But Draco already knew all of his father's tricks. He's had to live with him all his life.   
  
"Good morning, father," said Draco. He ordered his eyes to stay on his fathers.  
  
"I've been hearing stories, Draco. Perhaps you can set them straight?" Draco only blinked at his father, not pretending not to understand.   
  
"I received this in the mail yesterday," Lucius spat, throwing Draco a piece of parchment. In a handwriting that he nor Hermione recognized was written all about all the times Hermione and he had met, how their 'study sessions' were much more than studying for classes. Draco didn't want to deny it. It would be a complete and absolute lie, and it was no use trying to lie to his father, he saw right through them anyways.  
  
"This is all wrong," said Hermione, her eyes dark and expressionless. "I never met Dra- Malfoy. It wasn't him I've been skipping classes to be with all this time."  
  
"And who is it then?" Lucius asked. Hermione's face slightly contorted. She hated that man standing before her. He had the same white-blond hair and gray eyes but his weren't sparkling like Draco's, they were cloudy and malicious. When Hermione didn't answer, Lucius lunged towards her, wand outraised.  
  
"You defile our family! And that bastard who calls himself my son lets you!" Draco jumped in front of Hermione and Snape pulled Lucius back.  
  
"Don't be stupid, Lucius," said Snape, breathing hard. "What were you really going to do anyways? Kill that girl? In front of all these witnesses?" Lucius roughly shook himself off Snape and looked at him.   
  
"You are so pathetically weak, Severus," said Lucius. "You're no longer that Slytherin, the one with that passion for the Dark Arts. You're nothing but Dumbledore's little bitch." The wand in Snape's hand twirled through his fingers and was raised to point at Lucius' throat.   
  
"At least I'm not Voldemort's servant," he said. "You can't sink lower than that." Lucius' face rippled with disgusted emotion then suddenly, that calm mask slid back over it.  
  
"I plan to stay here, give my boy and me a private chamber, I wish to keep my eye on him now."   
  
"This is a boarding school, Master Malfoy," said Professor McGonagall, icily. "And I believe you should trust your son enough that he'd keep out of trouble." Draco held his breath.   
  
"Fine then. But I must speak to my son privately." Snape stepped between them.   
  
"May I offer to be a chaperone?" he asked, eyes looking straight at Lucius. "To make sure that, how should I say this? Ah, accidents do not occur."   
  
"This is completely absurd," said Lucius. "That a man can not even speak to his own son." Snape raised his eyebrows.   
  
"Fine then," hissed Lucius. "I will depart now, but remember my words, my boy, we will have a very long chat during Christmas break." With that, Lucius whirled around and disappeared, his footsteps heard padding down the stone hallway, echoing eerily.   
  
"Thanks Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall," said Draco, blowing the hair out of his eyes. He didn't care if he sounded like a scared little boy who had just gotten out of a beating from a bully. He was just relieved that he was here in the chamber with people he knew rather than being dragged along the hallway by the ear by his father.   
  
"But I must say, Lucius did have a point," said McGonagall. "Skipping class? Ms. Granger, I never thought I'd see the day." Hermione hung her head, face red with shame.   
  
"I know friendships can be valuble but this is pushing the line. I think Mr. Malfoy will be assigned another tutor and I believe it would be best if you two would stay apart from each other. Times are troubling and to see a Gryffindor and a Slytherin walk down the hallway together? Although that may be a great accomplishment for you two, to finally break the barrier between those two rivaling houses, it's too much for the others. Both of you will end up getting hurt. I'm sorry but you should both say your last words now but keep it at that." Professor McGonagall gave them both another pointed look and walked out of the room, pulling Snape out with her.   
  
Alone, Draco and Hermione looked at each other.   
  
"You really think we can't see each other again?" asked Hermione. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt. Draco smirked.  
  
"You really think I'm gonna let a prof keep us apart?" he whispered. Hermione felt a pleasant shiver run up her back.   
  
"But she said we could get hurt," she whispered back. "The Slytherins could beat you up badly. They could hurt me too." Their faces were so close their noses were almost rubbing. Draco grinned.  
  
"But will that keep you from seeing me?" Hermione had to smile back.  
  
"No."   
  
"That's what I thought." Draco kissed Hermione so sweetly Hermione thought she'd melt like an icicle under warmth.   
  
"So, east tower tonight? At one?" Hermione shivered again.   
  
"I miss you already," she said, smiling.   
  
"You couldn't think of something more original to say, after all, you are a brain." Before Hermione could protest, Draco kissed her again, cutting off her words.  
  
"I miss you too," he said, and gave her a wink (A/N *i am meeeeltting.....*) Hermione turned to go and walk out of the room but Draco grabbed her hand and pulled her back. He kissed her one last time.   
  
"Could you wear that black wool skirt of your's? You do look nice in that one." Hermione gave him a playful smack and kissed his cheek and walked out. Draco watched her leave. Suddenly, the day seemed to grow incredibly long. He couldn't wait until the sun went down and everyone was asleep.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
* I just love forbidden love, heehee....oh and just to tell you all, that isn't the last of good 'ol Lucius we see. He's coming back with vengeance....heehee, thank u all for reading, please R&R! 


	9. That Four Letter Word

Disclaimer:all the characters belong to J.K. Rowling! but i guess the plot belongs to me....  
  
Author's Notes: Augh! *hyperventilates* over 100 reviews?!?!? *faints* *Draco appears* draco says, "Oh no, looks like the author fainted, I guess I have to do mouth to mouth on her." *wakes back up* ~sigh~ if only that DID happen if i fainted, lol.... oh, I'm extremely and terribly sorry to anyone who thought that my fic promoted underage drinking. I didn't mean to promote anything! honestly! so I'm very sorry if that's how it came across to be. Alrighty guys....get ready for some drama :)   
  
Singing, laughing, dancing,   
to her favorite song  
She's a little girl with nothing wrong but she's all alone.  
  
~Norah Jones  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
The minute Hermione walked into the common room, she found Harry and Ron waiting for her, looking anxious and confused, and in Ron's case, angry.  
  
"What is going on, Hermione?!" Ron shouted. Hermione rolled her eyes.   
  
"Ron, I haven't had exactly a fun morning, could you save the yelling for later?" Harry gave Ron a look and pushed him slightly up the stairs. Ron reluctantly disappeared, outwardly meek but inside he was fuming. But he was too loyal to Harry to distress him. Can you say pathetic? But still, friends are friends and friends shouldn't do things that they know would hurt their friend...  
  
"Hermione," Harry said. "You have to tell me what's going on." Hermione briefly closed her eyes.   
  
"Harry, it's a long story."   
  
"I know who it was in your bedroom, Hermione," said Harry. Hermione could tell this was taking a lot out of Harry. After all, Harry liked to go along with the flow, he hated confrontations and would rather not seek trouble. Bad luck though, trouble often seeked him.   
  
"Fine, Harry," said Hermione. "I slept with Draco Malfoy." Harry's eyes opened wide. Deducting it was one thing, hearing it straight from Hermione's mouth really hit it home.  
  
"Then what?" asked Harry. "Why did you do it, Hermione?"   
  
"I have my reasons, Harry, they're personal and I don't feel like sharing them." Harry frowned.   
  
"I don't know what's gotten into you but I don't like what's it is, Hermione. First you skip class, then you swear to the profs, now you're sleeping with the worst criminal in school." Hermione narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Don't ever judge someone before you know them."   
  
"Who? Malfoy? Hermione! We both know what kind of person Malfoy is!"   
  
"Draco," said Hermione. "It's Draco and I don't know about you but I know what kind of person Draco is." Harry impulsively hugged Hermione.  
  
"I just don't want to lose a friend." Hermione closed her eyes, tears sliding from underneath them.  
  
"But if someone starts to pull away, you won't stop them, will you?" Harry sighed, trying to hide in Hermione's hair. He wished it could be like back when he, Hermione, and Ron were carefree first years, spinning on the large grassy fields until they were too dizzy to get back up. Sneaking out then falling asleep together in a cold, empty classroom. Nothing was ever going to be the same again.  
  
"I won't. I'll let her go."   
  
"Thanks Harry." Harry remained silent, his mind back to when they were young...when no shadows ever crept into their minds.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Draco was making sure that no one was in the common room and started to make his way out. He silently walked with his panther like lope, hair glinting in the moonlight. He was just outside when a rough hand knocked him down. Draco fell on his back, his wind getting knocked out. Immediately, he jumped back on his feet, eyes scouring the darkness for his attacker.  
  
"Draco, my boy," said a too familiar voice. "So glad you decided to talk to me." Shit, thought Draco. Not now, actually, not ever.   
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hermione waited at the top of the tower, outside. The stars and sky were like a thick blanket above her head, stretching onto infinity. She slightly shivered and wondered if she had come too early. Hermione hoped Draco would come soon. Hermione felt a weight inside. She knew the same thing Harry knew. Ever since she started to tutor Draco, she should have known things weren't going to be the same again. They would no longer be that 'Terrific Trio' the professors often dubbed them. No more of that. She felt alone.....and she was, a little girl with nothing wrong. But she was all alone. (or so she thought....)  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Get the bloody hell away from me," hissed Draco. Lucius and grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him up. Draco moved out of Lucius' grasp and stood, facing him.   
  
"Get away from me," he said, breathing hard.  
  
"Such love you give to your father." Lucius laughed without happiness.   
  
"I said get the hell away from me," said Draco. He received a punch in the shoulder, so hard that he could not supress a sharp gasp.   
  
"I don't want you laying any mudblood. You are a disgrace, a humiliation to the family name!" Lucius screamed. He was so worked up Draco could see white foam of spit gathering around his mouth.   
  
"I'd rather be true to someone. I'd rather be a person than a puppet." Lucius screamed in anger and hit Draco again, in the stomach, over and over. Draco fought to keep conscious and wondered why no one seemed to hear the sound of Lucius' screams and if Hermione would wait for him.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Hermione?" Hermione jumped. She turned around and saw that Ron was standing there.  
  
"Ron?" she asked, incredulously. "How did you find me here?" Ron shrugged.  
  
"I followed you," he said.   
  
"You what?!" Hermione started walked backwards to the edge of the tower, her fingers gripping the cold stone behind her. There was something different in Ron's eyes tonight, they were angry and hungry.   
  
"Hermione," Ron said, softly. "I want us to be together." Hermione's eyes opened wide. Had he suddenly gone completely insane? Uh, yeah, he pretty much did.   
  
"Ron," whispered Hermione. "Go back to the common room. Go to sleep." Ron seemed to suddenly snap.   
  
"What's wrong, Hermione?" screamed Ron. "Are you too good for me or something? To good for a poor Weasley like me!?" Hermione tried to take a step back, only to find she was at the edge. Ron's mind was in a whirl. He had been her friend for six years. Six years! Sure they might have gotten into their fights, but it was only short- lived fights and he had helped her go through so much. Buckbeak's trial. Victor's breakup. And suddenly Draco appears in the scene and in less than a month they're sleeping together. What was wrong with this picture? Well, Ron, I guess you're right, sex gods do have it nice.....  
"What is it, Hermione? You only lay the best? You'll only go out with the best? With a rich prick like Malfoy?!" Hermione was starting to get worried. Ron couldn't be reasoned, not now, not like this. Ron approached her and Hermione wondered if she could reach her wand from her back pocket.  
  
"What's the matter with you Hermione?" asked Ron, shaking her by the shoulders. "Can't you see the person who really loves you?!" Ron was shaking her hard and it hurt. Hermione bit her lip and was about to kick Ron when...  
  
"Is there a problem?" Hermione almost cried in relief. There, standing at the top of the staircase was Draco, like a young god, (a sex god more like) made of marble and alabaster with diamonds for eyes. Ron obviously didn't share Hermione's thoughts. His eyes narrowed dangerously.  
  
"Actually there is, Malfoy." Ron spat out the name as if it disgusted him, which it probably did. Draco merely raised a fine eyebrow.  
  
"I don't like how much time you're spending with Hermione."   
  
"I think it is up to Hermione to decide how she will spend her time and with who." Ron's composure disappeared. He ran towards Draco and pushed him hard.  
  
"You bastard," said Ron, breathing hard. "You stupid, rich bastard. I was her friend, I was loyal. What were you? Nothing! You were nothing to her. Then you appear and suddenly you act like you're in love. I hate you. And I want you to stay away from Hermione. She doesn't deserve you!" Ron tried to push Draco again but he resisted. They looked at each other, sizing each other up. Ron was taller but Draco had more muscle in his lean arms and stomach (ooh, yummmm) Hermione tugged at Ron's sweater.  
  
"Please Ron, go back to the common room," she pleaded. "I'll talk to you later." Ron looked at the hand that was resting on his arm and a look of softness crossed his face. He turned slightly towards Hermione when suddenly, he turned around and was about to hit Draco but Draco pushed him.   
  
"You stay away from her, Weasley," said Draco. "I never want to see you go near her again, ever." Draco looked at Ron, eyes hard. Ron scowled and stormed down the stairs. Draco slightly staggered and Hermione immediately hugged him. Draco winced slightly.   
  
"What happened?" he asked.  
  
"No, you first. You're hurt, aren't you?"   
  
"Lucius, that bastard, got me. Outside the Slytherin common room. I think he put a spell on us. He was screaming and no one came to help." Hermione healed him before he could do any explaining. They watched as the purple and blood red roses shrunk from under Draco's skin. Herione kissed his warm stomach. Draco pulled Hermione close to him. They were lying down looking at the stars. The stone floor was cold but all they needed was each other's warmth.   
  
"Draco?"   
  
"Hmmm?" he mumbled. His mind was going into a drowsy, happy state.   
  
"I love you." Draco kissed the top of Hermione's head.   
  
"I love you too." Hermione snuggled closer and they fell asleep like that, troubles gone....for at least a short time, only caring that they finally loved and were loved.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
*sorry, i'm such a sap when it comes to saying 'i love you.' it may be cheesy but admit it! you wish you were hermione right now, rite? heehee...or maybe that's just me....oh well.....big fat bird poop on ron! but you gotta feel sorry for him, u kinda see where he's coming from...but he's still a pain in the butt :) thanks for reading, i hope you u guys are still liking this, please R&R! 


	10. Dear Diary

Disclaimer:Still not mine...  
  
Author's Notes: Hey guys! still hyperventilating and stuff :) i got pretty sick and still am so was feeling lazy...but here's a chappy anyways! heehee...i couldn't stop writing so yah....some stuff in this chappy might be irrelevant to the plot, just there to make things more interesting...i'm glad a lot of you all support me in my LET'S KILL LUCIUS! heehee...oh, and Masked Reviewer....i actually did know that the yule ball was only held on the triwizard thingummy but it was just too much fun to let it pass! (muahahaha) i was hoping it would pass by...but obviously not by u! ur smart :) i envy you, lol...okay guys! i hope u like this chappy!   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hermione:  
Dear Diary,  
I can count five things that are very wrong in my life right now.  
1) Ginny confronted me  
2) I did it with a Slytherin.  
3) not just any Slytherin, Draco.  
4) Ron and Harry heard the whole thing  
5) I'm not bothered that I did it with a Slytherin, nonetheless Draco  
6) I think I really do love him.  
  
I think I'm going crazy just thinking about it. Thinking about him...I can't stop thinking about him. I can't stop thinking about stop thinking about him.... Ginny is insane... I think I may have to kill some one to preserve my sanity.   
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Harry:   
Dear Journal,  
I wish things were back the way they were. I hate the way it is now. Everything's changed. Nothing wil be the same again. And I'm such a big whiner. But I can't help it. Something's up between Hermione and Ron, I mean besides the fact that he heard her...um...yeah.... something else must have happened. Ron will probably get around to telling me....but I think I may kill someone before that....because I think i'm going insane. But if I'm insane, what does that make Ginny? She's completely lost it. But I guess I wish I could help her...but she won't let me. And Parvati's making weird eyes at me...it's creepy....  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Ron:  
Dear Diary,  
I can't believe this is happening. Hermione has gone crazy. Poor Ginny, I can't believe she was feeling this way. And I can't believe Hermione did that. Mum's gonna kill her if she finds out she made "lil' Gin' cry. But then I'll get the blame. I'm supposed to be taking care of Ginny, blah blah blah. Like Mum ever cared about me. The most she's ever said to me was, "at least you're not like Fred and George." Blah blah blah. I hate my stupid life. I think I may have to kill Hermione....or Ginny...or both.   
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Ginny:  
Dear Diary,  
I hate Hermione. I really do. She has everything, I have nothing. I hate Harry, I hate Ron, I hate Draco, I hate the whole school. The only thing I don't hate is...Harry. Wait, I just said I hated Harry, didn't I? Not only am I stupid....I'm stupid. I wish I could kill someone. Not literally. (don't freak out whoever is reading, and if you are reading this, YOU STOLE MY DIARY AND GIVE IT BACK) I think I've gone crazy. But if I'm crazy, then Hermione should be locked up. I hate my life.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Parvati:  
Dear Diary,  
It's so, like, incredibly not fair. Why does Hermione always get all the attention? It's not like she's pretty or anything. She's plain, her hair's plain, she is ABSOLUTELY BORING. So then why is she the center of everything? My head's starting to hurt because I think I'm thinking too hard. Poor me. I have to stop over exerting myself, Mum said it wasn't good for pretty girls to think so much anyways. I think I'm gonna go see what Lavender's up to. And maybe charm Harry back. I always will... *sultry look*  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Draco:  
Dear Journal,  
Is it just me or has everyone gone insane? I mean, honestly. Hermione's looking a littly peaky, Weasley's completely red, like his face matches his hair (it's hilarious), Potter looks like he's gonna drop dead...He always was a sick looking boy, all pale and scrawny. And Ginny looks like she can murder. It's all those weird Gryffindors. I knew they were all crazy. So how did I get mixed up with one of them? One of the most famous of them? On the right hand side of Potter? I have no clue. I also wonder, what on earth makes Hermione stand me? (a/n: cuz ur a freakin' hottie, that's why! *faint*) I don't know but somehow I got pulled along for the ride of Hermione Express.... and I'm definately enjoying it.   
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
So what REALLY happened????  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Ginny sat in the common room, silently furious. Hermione walked into the room and Ginny felt her face heat up like a furnace. She was so angry she wasn't even self- conscious of how red her face could get.  
  
"Good morning, Hermione." Ginny could barely get the words out through her tight lips. Hermione looked pretty trampled. She had slept a little bit but a stone floor isn't exactly comfortable. Tsk, tsk, a hard floor is the best bed for your back.... Hermione could feel dark pillows pressing against her eyes.  
  
"Morning, Gin." Ginny's eyes seemed furious but Hermione didn't notice. Harry walked into the room and glanced at Hermione. Hermione smiled sadly at him, trying to tell him that her mind hadn't changed. Harry's face completely fell. He was crushed. The fabulous trio? What trio? Harry doubted it would even be a duo now with Ron acting so weird. Ginny saw the whole thing...and blew up.  
  
"I hate you Hermione," she cried, in her shrill voice. Hermione was taken aback. What happened to, "How are you?" or "I'm just fine, what about you?" Haven't you heard, hun? It's the twenty-first century, people aren't so civil anymore...  
  
"You had everything. You had Harry. But you threw him away just like that. How could you? What's wrong with you?" Her voice rang through the room, and Ron just stepped down the stairs, looking surprised also.  
  
"And you go and just do anyone who would. You're a slut, Hermione, and if I could, I'd make sure I'd never have to see you ever."   
  
"Don't talk about things you don't know about, Ginny," said Hermione, biting her lips.   
  
"I don't have to. Everyone knows, Hermione. Everyone heard." Ginny stood there, taunting Hermione.  
  
"I don't have to take this crap from anyone. You used to be invisible and I liked it that way," Hermione spat. It was mean, true, but Hermione was only human and she was pretty pissed. Ginny's face grew even redder (if possible) and a hot tear slid down her cheek. It felt as if it was burning.   
  
"I hate you, I curse the day you were born and I wait for the day you die, Hermione." Oooh, very poetic.... Ginny stormed up to her room and Hermione walked out of the common room, the portrait door slamming shut like the echo of Ginny's door slamming shut.   
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Bad day?" Draco asked, running his hands through Hermione's hair. Hermione looked pretty beat up. Draco only had to wrap her up in his arms and kiss the tip of her nose to make her day turn around....waaaay around....  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
*strange chappy, I guess....Poor Ginny... she doesn't know anything....but she's such an angry little girl...lol... ah well...i think i almost hate hermione too, the way she gets kissed by Draco in every chappy practically....but then again, it's my fault cuz i'm writing it, lol....augh! now i'm in a state of confusiosity...ah well....please R&R! 


	11. Best Friend's Sister

Disclaimer: Nargh...nothing and no one is mine....except the plot i guess...  
  
Author's Notes: Sorry...i've been lazy...the story's been slooow...and this last chappy musta been REALLY confusing...hmmm...didn't think it was that confusing but mad people do have a tendency to disagree with sane people :) anyhoozles...i hope this somewhat clears it up.....if it doesn't...i'll...um....like write a summary of what happened or something...   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"So what exactly did happen? I did notice that the Gryffindors weren't looking especially peachy today." Hermione looked up at him, eyebrows raised.  
  
"Since when did you start watching us?" asked Hermione, giving him a playful push. Draco only grinned and waited for Hermione's answer. Hermione sighed.  
  
"I honestly don't know but somehow Ginny thought that Harry and I were going out or something and well...she was angry because she thought that I left Harry or something, I don't know. You know how much Ginny's liked Harry ever since she met him, right?"  
  
"She did?" asked Draco, pretending to be surprised. When Hermione scowled, Draco kissed her cheek.   
  
"Don't do that," he warned. "It can give you wrinkles."  
  
"Don't be stupid," Hermione whispered, grinning.  
  
"I won't if I can't help it." He kissed her ear softly as Hermione's mind raced happily.   
  
"But what do I do?" asked Hermione, pulling away slightly. Draco shrugged, looking adorably indifferent.   
  
"Who cares?" he said. "Ginny will get over it once she see's that you and Harry have nothing going on."   
  
"You're so smart," said Hermione, kissing him with a smile.   
  
"Of course I am," he said. "That's why I'm in so much demand."  
  
"That and you're a great kisser."   
  
"Of course." Hermione giggled and tilted her head up to get more of those great kisses.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ginny sat alone on a couch in the common room, scribbling fiercly into her diary. She was so into writing down her confrontation with Hermione that she didn't even notice that Harry had walked into the room, looking at her worriedly.   
  
"Ginny?" he said, softly. Ginny jumped and squeaked when she saw none other than Harry standing before her. She shut her diary quickly and put it underneath the pillow that she was resting against.   
  
"Harry? Are you looking for Ron because he's not here right now," Ginny said, bright red. Harry sat down on the couch next to Ginny.   
  
"Actually," he continued in a quiet voice. "I wanted to talk to you." Ginny resisted another squeak and looked down, her fingers desperately pulling some threads apart from their weave on the golden blanket draped over the scarlet couch.   
  
"About what," she finally said. Harry slid two cool fingers underneath Ginny's chin and gently tilted her face upwards to face his.   
  
"What were you talking about back there, with Hermione?" asked Harry. Ginny swallowed, her mouth suddenly gone dry.   
  
"Nothing," she whispered. She wished she was back in her room, in class, on a desert island with Neville, just anywhere but here.   
  
"You must have meant something." When Ginny didn't answer, Harry sighed and pusehd his hair away from his face.  
  
"Ginny," he said, seriously. "Hermione and I never had anything together besides friends I mean. Forget those rumors, they're lies, all of them."   
  
"You treat her like she's a goddess," Ginny said into a pillow, voice muffled.   
  
"She's an amazing person," said Harry. "We've been friends since the first year, you know that. But nothing more than friends." Ginny felt tears of shame slide from underneath her closed lashes.   
  
"I just felt like maybe you guys did have something going on and she just dropped you like you were nothing. When you're everything any girl would ever want."   
  
"I am?" asked Harry, wryly, with a crooked smile. Ginny nodded into her pillow. She swallowed hard again. This was going to be very hard to say. She lifted her face from the pillow. There were tear tracks shining on her cheeks.  
  
"Well, you're everything this girl would ever want," she said sadly. Harry just looked at her, equally sad.   
  
"But you're Ron's little sister, Ginny, he wouldn't be able to take it," he said. Ginny hung her head.  
  
"I know."   
  
"But we can still be friends, you know." Ginny wouldn't look up, she couldn't. Harry hesitated then put an arm around Ginny. She leaned in towards him and Harry held her as she sobbed into his sweater.  
  
"Just let me help you," Harry whispered, stroking Ginny's hair.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hermione was walking alone down the hallway when she felt rough hands grab her by the shoulders and slam her into the stone wall. She choked slightly and coughed. She found herself facing Avery's ugly face.   
  
"Hey pretty Gryffindor," he said. His face was so close Hermione could smell his breath...and it wasn't too great. Hermione struggled slightly.  
  
"What's the matter?" Avery taunted. "Aren't you the Gryffindor who's been sleeping with a Slytherin?" Hermione blanched.   
  
"No," she spat. Avery laughed cruelly.   
  
"Wanna be?"   
  
"No," she gasped. Avery frowned and twisted one of her wrists back and Hermione bit her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain. Instead she kicked out hard and hit Avery...in a very sensitive spot...   
  
"You bitch!" Avery screamed and threw Hermione back. He reached down to grab her by the throat when Hermione grabbed his finger and dug her fingernail into the base of his thumb. He cried out and pulled his hand back. He doubled up his fists and caught Hermione in the stomach and she fell to the stone floor hard and lay there, trying to see if her ribs were broken or bruised.   
  
"Avery," a cold voice rang. Avery was out of there in no time. He wasn't going to get caught again. He wasn't going to be held back another year. His footsteps faded as another one drew closer. Hermione blinked groggily but instead of fighting the pain, she let herself fall into blackness.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Snape leaned down Hermione's still form and checked her pulse. Still beating, still alive. Snape breathed a sigh of relief. He was sure that Avery wouldn't have killed the girl but he could have by accident. And if she died then of course Draco would go mad... Snape saw that Hermione's breathing was ragged and she looked as though in pain, even in a faint. Snape gathered up Hermoine in his arms and headed towards the infirmary. After he dropped her off, he left, looking for Draco. Draco would want to hear of this. Then he'd be out of this whole mess, Snape thought. Then he wouldn't have to deal with any more of this complicated chaos that Hermione and Draco had spun for themselves. Or so he hoped so.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
*yay....sorry guys, i know it took a while to get a chappy up...and about Avery, if the years and stuff don't work out....remember, he got held back a lot, heehee.....that just makes my story a little easier :) thanks for reading and please R&R! 


	12. Red Herring

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling originally created the characters, thus, she owns them...*sob*  
  
Author's Notes: Anyone who hasn't should most definately see The Two Towers! It is so good and Orlando Bloom, *faint* he is an ABSOLUT SEX GOD.....and also, the movie was really good in general, heehee....but Legolas definately perked up the film...but yeah, watch it! heehee....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"But Madame Pomfrey," Hermione argued. "I feel fine! I want to go back!" Madame Pomfrey ignored Hermione and checked her pulse for the fiftieth time.  
  
"Honestly," Hermione grumbled.   
  
"I'm going to keep you for a couple of more days. Heavens know what this kind of attack can do to a woman's emotional state. No, I can't have you leave. You must stay here and at least prove that you are emotionally calm." Hermione scowled.   
  
"You know damn well I feel fine! Emotionally and physically. Avery is stupid and I know that, now can I leave?" Madame Pomfrey just made a disapproving clicking sound with her tongue. Back in her day, young girls did not argue with their elders and they most certainly did not swear. She left, high heels clicking determined on the stone floor. Before she walked out the door, Madame Pomfrey turned around.  
  
"Oh, you do have a visitor." Hermione brightened up considerably when she saw Draco walk through the door, looking concerned, holding a rose.   
  
"A token for thy fair lady," Draco teased. "But if McGonagall says anything about her flowers, I never brought you anything." Hermione giggled and took the rose from him and noted with pleasure that thorns had been carefully cut off.   
  
"Are you okay?" asked Draco, sitting down on the bed next to Hermione. She rolled her eyes.  
  
"A few cuts and maybe a bruise but Madame Pomfrey is acting like I just trotted back from the war. She won't let me leave." Draco smirked.  
  
"She loves having patients and she hates to let them go. So what happened?" Hermione shrugged.   
  
"Honestly, I have no clue. One minute I'm walking down the hallway, the next minute Avery the bastard is attacking me. I don't know why he did that but I don't think he meant anything by it. I'm sure he would have done the same thing if it was just anybody else walking down that hallway."   
  
"But it wasn't anybody else," said Draco, fuming. "How could he?" Hermione shook her head.  
  
"I don't know, Draco, but I think some people think something's up. They might not know what but yeah, they definately know there's something going on."  
  
"Between us?"  
  
"Between somebody. I think we have to keep that suspicion away from us."   
  
"How are we going to do that?" Hermione bit her lip.  
  
"I think we'll have to sleep on that."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Hermione was bored out of her mind. Harry had already visited and so had Ginny, eyes overly bright and apologizing. Snape walked in once and snapped at Hermione telling her that he was merely checking the temperature in every room.   
  
"Sure Professor," she said, grinning. Snape left the room, muttering about overly cocky students, but not before he practically threw her a card. It was a generic card of a ginger cat on the front that reminded her of Crookshanks, who actually found his way into the infirmary and was curled up next to Hermione. He enjoyed being held captive in a hospital more than his owner did.   
  
The card was obviously from the wizarding world because the cat purred periodically and growled when it was put face down. Inside the card, it was written by the manufacturers, "Hoping you're having a MEOW-fully good time!" Underneath it in Snape's elegant handwriting, it was written, "Stay out of trouble." Hermione rolled her eyes. What a Snape way to show he cared....   
  
Hermione was so bored she pathetically picked at the sheets, trying to find ways to entertain herself.  
  
"Hermione?" Hermione looked up and was surprised to find Dean. She frowned.  
  
"Hi, Dean, what are you doing here?" Okay, so she wasn't the queen of tact but she was curious. Dean flushed slightly and from behind his back, he brought out a boquet of flowers.   
  
"I heard you were sick." Hermione grinned.  
  
"Either I'm sick or Madame Pomfrey is insane, take your pick." Dean cracked a small smile too and stepped closer to the bed. He put the flowers on the bedside table, next to the other small gifts that Hermione had received. Hermione still held the blood-red rose that Draco had given her in her hands.   
  
"Did you get a lot of visitors?" Hermione shrugged.  
  
"Some." Dean uncomfortable shifted his weight from one foot to another. Hermione couldn't help but notice how adorable he looked, so nervous. She jumped at that thought and checked her vital stats. Heartbeat, steady, maybe a little faster because she was still angry at Madame Pomfrey. Hands, no sweat. Brain? No fuzziness or racing. Breath? Steady. Reassured, Hermione flashed Dean another smile, a slow one spreading across her face. This was too much fun.  
  
"How long do you think you're staying here?" asked Dean.   
  
"As long as it takes for Madame Pomfrey to return to sanity I suppose." Dean laughed then grew quiet, eyes serious.  
  
"Well, Hermione, I just wanted to tell you..."  
  
"Yes?" This was definately more fun than picking at the sheets.   
  
"YouwerereallyprettyattheYuleBallandIwantedtotellyouthat."   
  
"Say again?" she asked, amused.   
  
"Maybe, if you feel better soon," said Dean, face scarlet. "You might want to go out with me sometime." Hermione's eyes widened. Hold up. Her brain was racing with an idea. If she went out with Dean....no one would suspect she was in love with Draco. This was perfect.   
  
"Sure, I'd love to," said Hermione. Hello Red Herring...   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
A/N: was that too mean of Hermione? I mean, she has to do what she has to do to keep her relationshippy going on with Draco, rite? Well, if I were her, I would have done the same thing but that's not saying much because I'm a pretty evil person, heehee.....thanks for reading, please R&R! 


	13. Green Eyed Monster

Disclaimer:J.K. Rowling still owns everything…but it will all change in the very near future…muahaha…

Author's Notes: morpheus: I so didn't use the 'jeebus' did I? I don't remember using it….crystalnia: Draco got away from Lucius cuz erm…well….heehee, Lucius was done beating up Draco I guess…oh, and thanks for the song….no one's ever sang to me in a review before, lol…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione got two more visitors that she wasn't exactly excited to see.

"Oh, Hermione, when we heard, we were soooo worried," purred Lavender. 

"But we also wanted to tell you congratulations," said Parvati, face tight. "You won both bets." She dropped a pillow case full of silver sickles, bottles of nail polish, perfume, and other assorted things onto Hermione's lap. Hermione's mind raced. 

"We made a list of the guys, ranked," said Lavender, dropping a list on top of the pillowcase. Next to number one, there was Draco's name. Hermione looked lovingly at the name then looked at number two. Number two was some random Ravenclaw that she didn't know personally, only by reputation. He was one of the Ravenclaw catchers. Then at number three, there was Harry.

"Malfoy went alone and Dan was injured in a Quidditch game, he spent the Yule Ball in the infirmary. And you went with Harry so you got the hottest guy," said Lavender, explaining very, very slowly. Hermione wasn't really listening, only trying to find out how _they_ had found out the second part of the bet…

"And a certain friend of ours tipped us off," said Parvati, leaning in close. "About the second part of the bet." Lavender nodded along and suddenly the two looked extremely vicious. 

"We have you, Hermione," hissed Parvati. "We have the power to take away your preppy, good girl image in a second. So you better stay away from Harry, Hermione, or you'll be sorry." Hermione stared at Parvati.

"Get. Out," Hermione growled. Parvati shrugged and flipped a dark plait over her shoulder and nodded at Lavender. The two of them slunk out, half students, half snakes. So who tipped them off? It was either Harry, Draco…or Ron. Take your guess, it can't be that hard.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Something happened, didn't it?" asked Draco. He was lounging next to Hermoine on the bed, sampling some chocolates that she had received. Hermione sighed and rolled onto her side, supporting her head with her hand.

"Parvati and Lavender know," she finally said. Draco's almost invisible eyebrows raised.

"Know everything?" he asked.

"They know enough," answered Hermione. "They're like the two newscasters of Hogwarts. Now everyone will know." She groaned. She told Draco everything that had happened.

"Then it's easy," he said. "Stay away from Potter." 

"Knowing Parvati and Lavender, it can't be that easy," said Hermione. "Oh, and look." She produced the parchment of the Lavender and Parvati's list of guys, in order of good appearance. Draco glanced at it and smirked.

"Well, of course I'm number one," he said. Hermione rolled her eyes and pushed him slightly. Looking at it for the second time, Hermione was surprised to see that Dean was pretty up there on the list, right after Harry. 

"Potter at number three?" said Draco. "He must be really wounded." Hermione giggled. She glanced at the bouquet of flowers on her bedside table which reminded her again of Dean.

"Something perfect happened," said Hermione, leaning close, eyes wide. 

"What?" 

"Dean asked me out." Draco frowned slightly.

"Is this some sort of joke I'm too evil to understand?" he asked. Hermione smacked him lightly.

"No stupid," she said. "Going out with Dean would make people less suspicious of you and me and now, of me and Harry." 

"Potter, Dean….you're roping up all the good guys," he said, with a smirk. 

"But I got the best guy," said Hermione, leaning even closer. She gave Draco a slight, teasing kiss.

"You should get to class," said Hermione. "That might be one good thing about being stuck here, I don't have to go to class." 

"Granger doesn't want to go to class?" asked Draco. Hermione pushed him off the bed. 

"Talk to you later," she said. Draco disappeared out the door. Hermione leaned back on the pillows. She had to think of a way to shut Parvati and Lavender up…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco walked down the hallway, hair blowing slightly, book bag digging into his shoulder. He swore under his breath and with his wand, he made it lighter. As he passed, some people greeted him but he only nodded in return, his mind elsewhere. So Hermione would go out with Dean. That was perfect…right? And then no one would suspect them of going out…but Draco couldn't help wishing that maybe it would be nice if people knew that he and Hermione were together. And the fact that it was Dean slightly bothered him. He wasn't blind, he saw the list. Dean was up there, Hermoine would get attention for going out with him. He felt like he was being pushed to the side. Uh oh, the ugly green eyed monster is rearing its head…he was so deep in his thoughts he didn't notice the petite redhead in front of him and collided with her.

"Watch where you're going!" she cried, shrilly. Draco swore again, silently. Of all the people. It was the Weasley girl, possibly the second most annoying person at Hogwarts after her big brother Ron of course. 

"Sorry," he said, not really meaning it. 

"If you're going to apologize, say it like you mean it," she snapped. Draco almost snapped back when he got a good look at her. Her face was blotchy, eyes red and puffy from crying and her nose looked like a tomato. And he felt sorry for her. Draco blinked. Hermione's goody goodness seemed to be rubbing off on him…

"Sorry," he said again. "So what's up?" Ginny glared at him. 

"None of your business!" she cried. She turned away but Draco saw the shiny tear that slid down her cheek. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I ran into you, I said sorry _twice_ and now I'm curious. What happened?" Ginny sniffled slightly. 

"Harry doesn't like me," she finally said, with another pathetic sniffle. Draco's eyebrows knitted in confusion. 

"Er…I'm sorry?" 

"You won't understand," bawled Ginny. "You're perfect, just like Harry and Hermione. You guys all must be made for each other!" Draco awkwardly stroked Ginny's hair. 

"Um…well Harry must not be that perfect, if he can't see what a great person you are," he said. It came to him completely out of the blue. Ginny looked at him, eyes shining with tears, strands of hair stuck to her pale cheeks.

"You really think so?" she asked. Draco felt uncomfortable but what was he supposed to say? 

"Of course," he said, trying to sound sure of himself. Ginny looked at Draco.

"You're nicer than my brother says you are," she finally said.

"Well, I didn't think I'm exactly your brother's favorite person but it all works out because I don't like him that much either." Ginny's face was brightening. 

"Could you do something for me?" she asked. Ginny's stomach felt like it was tightening and spinning around and around, as if she was on a roller coaster, but she wasn't. She was standing on the ground. Was it Draco that was having his effect on her? Of did it have to do with the fact that she was about to ask him something completely outrageous? 

"Will you go out with me?" she squeaked. Draco almost fell over, he was so surprised.

"What?" Ginny looked so embarrassed that he knew that she wouldn't be able to repeat the question. 

"I thought maybe then Harry would notice me," she said, half lying. Draco pushed his hair out of his eyes. What did he have to lose? He eyed Ginny. His reputation? But when he looked at her again, he decided she wasn't half bad and he really did feel sorry for him. Why the hell didn't Potter just go out with her? Then he wouldn't be standing here saying…

"Sure, Ginny," he said. Ginny looked shocked.

"Really?" she whispered. 

"Yeah," said Draco. Ginny put her arms around Draco in a surprisingly tight hug. 

"Thank you," she said. Draco couldn't help feeling slightly good. He had just done something nice, hadn't he? 

"Now go to class before I change my mind," he said, trying to sound gruff. He wasn't about to let anyone know that he was turning into another do-gooder like Potter. Ginny rushed off to class. Draco went to Professor Binn's class and sat down, looking at the empty seat next to him where Hermione sat that one day. He felt oddly lonely even when surrounded by Slytherins and he started wishing that Madame Pomfrey would grow a brain and let Hermione go back to class. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: yay, I finally updated! I hope you all enjoyed that…some Ginny angst might be coming up…but I'm not revealing anything else! muahaha…thanks for reading, please R&R! 


	14. Miles Away

Disclaimer:I don't own anything, all are the rightful property of J.K. Rowling.

Author's Notes: to all you ginny/draco fans out there…sorry but it's not gonna be ginny/draco! Draco only decided to go out with ginny because he felt sorry for her, thought I should let you all know…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione felt like she was flying as she ran down the hallways. It was late, almost lights out when Madame Pomfrey finally decided she was well enough to leave the infirmary. The moonlight cast eerie shadows down the hallway but Hermione didn't care. She was finally out. About time too. She past by the bathroom where Moaning Myrtle inhabited. Suddenly, Hermione stopped dead.

"Myrtle," she muttered. "I'm going to _kill_ you!" She conveniently forgot that Myrtle was already dead. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco was walking alone. He felt too restless to go to sleep. His mind was a flurry of thoughts. Thoughts about how he was going to have to face Ginny and go out with her, thoughts about his father, thoughts about Hermione. Damn he missed Hermione. Then, suddenly, as if his thoughts materialized into real life, Draco felt someone run into him from behind. It was Hermione. She put her arms around Draco's neck and Draco turned around to face her. 

"You're finally out," he said. Hermione looked angry though.

"You won't believe what happened," she said. Draco cocked his head. 

"What?"

"It was Myrtle!" cried Hermione. Draco shook his head slightly, still confused.

"Myrtle was the one who told your father! She was the one who told him everything, it's all her fault!" 

"Wait, slow down," said Draco. "So you're saying it was Myrtle who tipped Lucius?" 

"Yes!" said Hermione, exasperated. "And she won't talk to me. You know how she's a ghost! She's been hiding out in the u-bend of a sink anytime I walk in and try to yell at her!" 

"Then how do we get to her?" Hermione grinned.

"Fortunately," she said. "I think I have a plan." Draco leaned down and kissed Hermione.

"Kisses first, plan later."

"Sounds good," said Hermione, tilting her face up. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Snape woke up the next morning and knew it wasn't going to be a good day. His coffee was too sweet, he couldn't find a robe that wasn't wrinkled, and he had forgotten to grade the first class' homework, which was why he was walking down to his office at this unholy hour. Then, officially, the fourth bad thing happened. There sitting together in front of the office door was Hermione and Draco. They both looked pale and looked as if they hadn't slept the night before, which they hadn't. But they both looked happy. 

"What in God's name are you two doing here?" he snapped. They both got to their feet, lazily almost, as if they were defying him.

"We need your help," announced Hermione. Snape rubbed his temples. Damn those two. Why was he always getting involved? 

"Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger," said Snape. "I have you both on grounds of suspension. Professor McGonagall and I have clearly ordered for you to stay away from each other and out of your dormitories at this hour, I don't know where to start."

"Who shoved a stick up his ass?" muttered Draco. Hermione nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Professor Snape," said Hermione. "What we are asking for you to do is to help us. But if you will not do so, we will do what we are planning on doing with or without your help." Snape rubbed his temple again. What were they planning on doing? Hopefully killing themselves.

"So will you help us," Hermione said. "Or would you rather let us endanger ourselves?" Snape glared at the two of them

"What do you want?" asked Snape, tiredly. He should have had that second cup of coffee. Draco grinned devilishly. 

"Why, Professor Snape," he said. "I thought you'd never ask." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"That's impossible," said Snape. They were all sitting around Snape's desk. To try and make him feel better, Hermione took half of the stack of parchments that Snape was supposed to grade and started to grade them herself. 

"We're not asking you to do the impossible," said Hermione, looking up from the correction she was writing in red ink. 

"Bringing a ghost back to life? That's pretty damn impossible, Ms. Granger," said Snape, getting impatient. 

"We never said that," said Draco, leaning close. "We told you to make her _human_." Snape leaned back. 

"Go on," he said, eyes glittering. 

"What we need is for Myrtle to become tangible, something that can't go and hide in a pipe," said Hermione, putting down her quill. 

"How did Myrtle get dragged into this?" asked Snape.

"She knew. She was angry," said Hermione. "I told her that Draco asked me to the Yule Ball and she just absolutely went into fits. I think she wanted revenge or something, I don't know what goes on in her mind. But I'm hoping to find out." Snape sighed and pushed up the sleeves of his robes.

"Fine," he said. "I think we might be able to work something out." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ginny was walking down the hallway, looking for Draco. Since he said he'd go out with her, were they really going? Or did he mean just a one date thing? She hugged her books tighter to her chest. _Oh god, there he is_, thought Ginny. _Ohgodohgodohgod. What am I going to say? Will he remember his promise? _Ginny could barely make her legs walk her closer to Draco who was standing, chatting casually with some other Slytherins. Ginny hesitated. Maybe she shouldn't. She suddenly realized that she could get hurt. Slytherins hated Gryffindors with a firey passion. And she didn't want to get caught in the flames.

"Hey Ginny," said Draco, lazily, waving a hand to motion her closer. Ginny swallowed. He called her Ginny, not Weasley. That had to be a good sign. She timidly walked forward. 

"What's with the Weasley?" growled one of the Slytherins. He was lanky and dark. 

"Calm down," said Draco. 

"Is she giving you some or something?" asked a tall brown haired boy. He would have been good looking but his nose was a little big. Ginny blushed. She could tell her cheeks were probably flaming, she could feel it. Draco's fist splayed out to the side and hit the brown haired boy in the stomach and not once did Draco's eyes avert from Ginny's face.

"This is my girlfriend," said Draco. _Damn that's hard to say_, thought Draco. It was. And he didn't want to say it but he had to. He made Ginny a promise, right? Ginny looked up, eyes bright and happy. _Omigod, he remembered! He called me his girlfriend!_ She felt a thrill go down her back. She checked the halls and was pleased to see Harry walking down the hallway with Hermione. Both of them gave her strange looks that clearly said, _What's Ginny think she's doing?_ Ginny felt grown-up and independent. Finally out of the shadows. She could do whatever she wanted, hang out with whoever she wanted. Draco saw them too and Ginny was surprised to see him blanch. 

"So Draco," said Ginny. Her voice sounded like a baby's. Ginny cleared her throat and pitched her voice a tone lower. "What are we doing tonight?" The other two Slytherin boys that were with Draco were almost choking with suppressed laughter. 

"Meet me during dinner," said Draco. "I'll talk to you then." He left them all, leaving Ginny awkwardly standing with the two Slytherin guys.

"So _are_ you giving him some?" asked the lanky one.

"Give me some," said the other one, laughing. Ginny's cheeks flared up again. Her stomach turned in disgust.

"I have to get to class," she mumbled and walked away as quickly as possible. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Well, I'm glad you decided to talk to me again," said Harry, as they walked down the hall. Hermione nodded distractedly, her mind elsewhere. _What was Ginny doing talking to Draco? _She thought, her mind racing wildly. _He was talking to her just like that, in front of everyone. As if he didn't care. He couldn't possibly _like_ her could he? That's why he doesn't care what anybody would think seeing them together? _ She thought about Draco and her together that morning sitting in front of Snape's office, stealing kisses, laughing, talking. _Is Draco…could Draco…could he possibly be _playing_ me??? _ Hermoine felt hurt. She suddenly felt sick and she wasn't sure what to think. 

"Don't you think so Hermione?" Harry was saying. 

"What?" she said, looking up. "Yeah, whatever you say." Harry looked at her weirdly but didn't answer. Voldemort could have Apparated and declared his love to Hermione and she wouldn't have noticed. She was miles away. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: thanks for reading guys, please R&R on your way out! 


	15. Complicated

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything but the plot I guess...  
  
Author's Notes: To all those worrying (not that many I think) Hermione and Draco's relationship, at least this is what I'm planning, will never be shaken. And for the sake of my story, Snape and Myrtle would have been around the same age and went to Hogwarts around the same time...  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?  
  
~Avril Lavigne  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Keep stirring, Ms. Granger," ordered Snape. Hermione gagged slightly. The smell that was rising with the steam was disgusting. Draco was sitting a considerable distance away from the cauldron, slicing up some unidentifiable herb. Snape surveyed everything going on and suddenly swore under his breath.  
  
"We forgot the dragon's tongue," he said. "I'll have to run down to Diagon Alley and get it."   
  
"Run?" Hermione and Draco echoed. Snape scowled.  
  
"You know what I mean. Preceed as you are, I won't be more than twenty minutes." With that, Snape was out the door. Hermione shifted uncomfortable as she stirred the cauldron. Draco noticed Hermione's silence too.  
  
  
"What's wrong?" he finally asked. Hermione stubbornly looked into the cauldron and refused to look at Draco. Draco stood up and walked around until he was standing across from her, the steaming cauldron between them.   
  
"What's wrong?" he asked again. He caught Hermione's hand that was holding the ladle and stopped her from stirring.   
  
"Nothing," Hermione said. The steam was starting to make her eyes water but she still refused to look up.   
  
"Don't lie." Hermione sighed.  
  
"What's going on between you and Ginny?" she asked. Draco's eyebrows raised.  
  
"This is what this is about?" he asked, incredulously.   
  
"Yes," snapped Hermione.   
  
"It's nothing," said Draco. "Honestly. It's all a scam."  
  
"A SCAM?" she repeated. "Are you leading Ginny on?!"   
  
"No, no," said Draco. He was desperately trying to calm Hermione down. "It's nothing like that. She likes Harry, you know that, right?" Hermione nodded. "So she wants to go out with me to see if that'll get Harry jealous..." Hermione eyed Draco.   
  
"You know I'd never go out with anyone behind your back Hermione," said Draco, wishing that Hermione would relax. Hermione glanced at him one more time and really did relax.  
  
"I saw you guys and I wasn't sure what was going on," said Hermione. Draco gave her a look. Hermione grinned sheepishly. She went back to stirring when Draco put her arms around her and Hermione dropped the ladle.   
  
"Could you please keep the lovey dovey behaviour until you are without company?" asked an annoyed voice. Snape was back and was clutching a black plastic bag.   
  
"Yes Professor Snape," said Hermione, eyes wide.   
  
"Cut the sweet act, Ms. Granger, you know I don't fall for it."  
  
"Yes Professor," answered Hermione, grinning.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"I just wanted to thank you again," said Ginny. She hugged herself. She was wearing her soft-knit cardigan but she still felt chilly. "For doing this, you really didn't have to."   
  
"It's okay," said Draco, distractedly. He sighed. They were walking down the hallway together, heading for the dining hall. Ginny suddenly stiffened so much that Draco could feel it.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked softly. Ginny was surprised to find shivers run down her back at the softness of Draco's voice.  
  
"It's Harry," she finally managed to say back. Harry was heading down the hallway, looking to the side. In a minute he would turn his head and see Ginny and Harry.   
  
"Okay then," whispered Draco. He could feel Harry's eyes roaming and just about to lock on his when he turned around and pulled Ginny close and kissed her. From his peripheral vision, he could see Harry stop and stare.   
  
*Oh My God* thought Ginny. *I can't believe I'm kissing Draco Malfoy. THE Draco Malfoy!* She could also feel Harry's eyes on them but suddenly, she couldn't care less. Finally, Draco pulled away and was satisfied to see Harry walk away with a sick look on his face.  
  
"I think we did it," Draco said, to Ginny. But Ginny was barely listening, there was a roaring in her ears and she couldn't help feeling as if she and Draco were the only people in the school, in the whole world in fact. She leaned up onto her toes and kissed him.  
  
"Gin-, Ginny," said Draco. "Harry's not here to see anymore but we did it if that's what you're worried about." Ginny looked at him.   
  
*Shit* thought Draco, as he started to realize what was happening. *Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?*   
  
"I'm sorry," Ginny mumbled. "I can't help it but you've treated me like I matter. You've said more to me in the past two weeks than Harry has in the past six years." Draco felt paralyzed. What would he do from here?   
  
"Ginny," said Draco. "I'm sure if you talk to Harry, he'll understand. You guys are friends, right?" Ginny felt her eyes starting to well up with tears.  
  
"I don't know what I am to him," she said bitterly. "And now, I'm not sure if I even care." Draco took her hand and led her back to the portrait of the fat lady.   
  
"What now, Ginny?" asked Draco. Ginny glanced at him.   
  
"We're still friends, right?" Draco pulled Ginny into a hug.  
  
"Sure Gin, we're still friends." Ginny didn't know how much more of this she could handle. Her heart was shattered into a million pieces like broken glass and she wasn't sure if she had the strength to gather all the shards and put them back together.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"I think it's ready," said Snape, after looking at the thick potion bubbling in the cauldron. It still smelled horrible and in an attempt to make it less disgusting, Hermione had added lavender oil. It only made it smell even more sickening. Hermione took a big breath.  
  
"Alright then," she said. "Let's go see if we did this right." They poured some of the potion into a small glass vial and headed towards the girl's bathroom. They were standing in front of it when Snape scowled.  
  
"Hold on, I am not going into a ladie's lavatory." Draco rolled his eyes.  
  
"There's no one in there, Professor," he said. "Except Myrtle but she doesn't count. It's the twenty-first century, we're more liberal now." Draco gave Snape a push and Snape, giving Draco a glare, pushed open the door. Myrtle jumped in surprise.   
  
"Who's there?" she asked, looking around.   
  
"Now Professor!" cried Hermione. Snape, wand raised, started to speak an incantation.   
  
"What are you doing?" shrieked Myrtle. She found that she couldn't move. Hermione rushed forward and doused the ghost with the potion the best she could. A lot of it slid down to the ground but a fair amount now covered Myrtle. Slowly, she began to change and Snape stopped the spell that was holding her paralyzed. Myrtle's feet touched the ground and all three watched her, eyes wide. Myrtle was now, quite obviously, solid. Myrtle glared at them.  
  
"How dare you all come in here?" she cried, shrilly. Not noticing that she was no longer in spectral form, Myrtle lunged for the sink, thinking she would fly down the drain. Instead, she hit her head hard on the porcelain bowl and slid to the ground. Hermione groaned and put her leather book bag underneath her head and all three of them waited for Myrtle to get up.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Where am I?" asked Myrtle, dazedly. She looked at them. She wasn't very pleasing to look upon, her hair was thin and mousey colored, she was wearing an outdated Hogwarts uniform and from behind her thick glasses, her eyes blinked rapidly. She looked at Hermione, Draco, and Snape who were crowding around to see if she was okay. Myrtle's honey colored eyes lightened with recognition when she saw Snape.  
  
"Severus," she said, sweetly with an acid tone underneath.   
  
"Myrtle," said Snape, with a quick nod. She surveyed him up and down.  
  
"You grew up well," Myrtle murmured. Draco watched with amusement as Snape's usually sallow face grew the lightest color pink. Snape stook up hurriedly.   
  
"Well then, you two talk to Myrtle and I'll see you in class."   
  
"No Professor," said Hermione. With a casual wave of her wand, she locked the door.   
  
"You helped us," she said. "So I think you deserve to stay around." Snape looked desperately at the door.   
  
"I didn't know you and Myrtle had a history," said Draco, grinning.   
  
"A HISTORY?! Is that what you call it?!?!" screamed Myrtle. Snape winced. "Oh Severus. Don't you remember that one HILARIOUS prank you played on me?!"   
  
"Which one?" asked Snape, meekly.   
  
"The YULE BALL!!!" Snape blanched.   
  
"Would you like to hear what HAPPENED?!" asked Myrtle, looking at Hermione, eyes wild. Then her eyes rested on Draco and Myrtle turned extremely red.   
  
"But, I'm sure they would all bore you," she said, voice much more quiet. She sidled up next to Draco.  
  
"So what brings an evil Slytherin boy to this part of Hogwarts?" she asked, looking at Draco. Hermione swore she was batting her eyelashes from behind those glasses. Draco looked suitably uncomfortable.  
  
"Business," said Draco.   
  
"BUSINESS?!"   
  
"Wrong thing to say," muttered Snape. Myrtle whirled around and headed for one of the stalls....and hit her head hard on the door.   
  
"You think we should have told her she was solid?" asked Hermione. They all glanced at the prone figure on the floor.   
  
"We'll tell her when she wakes back up," said Snape. "And hopefully that won't be for another hour or so." They all looked at Myrtle again.   
  
"Maybe two hours won't hurt," said Draco, rubbing his ear. Hermione nodded.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
A/N: Hope you guys liked it...please R&R on your way out! 


	16. Bittersweet

Disclaimer:I own nothing but the plot!

Author's Notes: Hey guys, sorry I haven't been updating that quick lately, school started and jeebus, the profs are absolutely evil…but I have the whole story planned out in my head so the minute I get the chance, I'll type them all up and upload them. And thanks for the reviews!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Myrtle had woken up and after being explained what happened, she was exploring and relearning how to act being solid.

"I can _touch_ things again," she said, wonder shining in her eyes. Then she looked at Snape and pushed him, hard.

"Excuse me Myrtle?" snapped Snape. "I think class is calling, I must leave." He looked dismally at Hermione and Draco who both looked right back and signaled him to stay. 

"Why'd you do it, Myrtle?" demanded Hermione. "You got Draco into a lot of trouble." Myrtle sniffled. 

"I don't care. From what I hear, I'm sure he deserves all the trouble he got." It took all of Hermione's self control not to throttle the girl standing before her. 

"You always were a silly girl," said Snape, looking angry. "Draco's life may very well be in danger and he might be safe had it not been for your meddling."

"STOP IT!" she shrieked. "You were the one who drove me to do it!" Myrtle whirled around and threw herself on the dirty, bathroom ground, sobbing into the tiles. Snape, Hermione, and Draco exchanged a glance and finally, Draco sighed and walked towards the huddled figure of Myrtle. 

"Myrtle?" he said, softly, putting a hand on her back. "We know you didn't mean any harm." 

"How would you know that?" Myrtle barked. "Maybe I _did_ mean harm." 

"Either way, we have to know. You were the one, weren't you?" Myrtle wouldn't look up. 

"Maybe I do deserve it," said Draco, continuing to talk. "Maybe I do. I don't know what stories you hear about me but I know that I may not always be the nicest person. But I genuinely love another person in this world and it'd honestly break my heart if that was taken away from me. And my father can do that, Myrtle. He has the power to take me away from the only person I ever loved." 

He could tell by the movement of Myrtle's shoulders that she was crying. Hermione started to step forward but Snape stopped her.

"He's handling it just fine," said Snape. Myrtle finally looked up. Pearly tears were glinting behind her thick glasses. 

"Fine," she whispered. "It was me. I told Lucius everything." Hermione drew a sharp breath. Suspicions were one thing, hearing it directly was another.

"Why'd you do it, Myrtle?" asked Hermione. When Hermione had walked into the bathroom at first, she was sure that she would yell, scream, do anything humanly possible to get rid of the anger inside of her, possibly hurting Myrtle along the way but now, looking at the chubby, crying girl, Hermione couldn't help but pity her. 

"Why don't ask _him_," said Myrtle, with a pointed look at Snape. Snape shifted uncomfortably. 

"You still remember," said Snape, voice faltering. 

"_Yes_ I still remember," snapped Myrtle. 

"Well…" Snape looked oddly lost. 

"What happened was," said Myrtle, not listening to Snape. "It was the Yule Ball. And it would have been my very first one too. I was a fourth-year and Snape was a fifth year." Myrtle paused to give Snape another glare. 

"And," asked Draco, encouragingly. 

"And Snape thought that it'd be terrifically funny to ask me to the ball with no intention of taking me." Hermione shot a glance at Snape. He looked extremely awkward. 

"So he did. And I was so happy. Asked by a _fifth year_. A bad boy Slytherin too. He was like a Draco, back in the day, except not as cute." Snape scowled. 

"And all week before the ball I was so excited then he told me that he'd meet me outside the Gryffindor common room on the day of the ball. So I waited and waited and he NEVER CAME!" Myrtle started to look angry, and her voice raised. "AND I WENT TO THE BALL AND WHO DO I SEE? I SAW SNAPE THERE DANCING WITH ANOTHER GIRL!" Draco put a comforting hand on Myrtle's back. She was shaking so angrily that she couldn't talk for a couple of minutes. Then she resumed.

"And then Hermione comes in and tells me that she's been asked to the ball by Draco and all these thoughts started to flood back. I did hear a lot about Draco. He sounded exactly like Snape. Hermione, I didn't want you to get hurt." Hermione's heart started to go out for Myrtle, after all, she was looking after her…right?

"And my heart bleeds eggnog," said Snape, sarcastically. "Don't lie, Myrtle. You have to tell the truth." Myrtle blinked rapidly, looking trapped. Her eyes narrowed and she blew her thin bangs out of her eyes. 

"Fine," she said, through gritted teeth. "I was jealous, doesn't everyone have a right to be jealous once in awhile? I've always been 'good Myrtle, at least she's not any trouble.' And I'm sick of that."

"So you went and put an innocent life in danger?" questioned Snape. 

"She didn't know I'd actually be in danger," said Draco. "Right?" When Myrtle didn't answer right away, Draco stiffened and stood up and away from her.

"Myrtle," said Snape in a warning tone. 

"Fine, I knew," said Myrtle. "But look, I'm already dead, right? And being dead isn't that bad. I just thought that…" Her voice trailed off. 

"You wanted to kill a boy so he'd become a ghost and stay with you?!" roared Snape. "For your own selfish needs?!" 

"I'm lonely, okay? I've always been lonely," said Myrtle. "Even when I was alive I didn't have any friends, so you can stop yelling at me. You have no right to yell at me."

"NO RIGHT?!" Hermione tugged on his arm to quiet him. 

"Professor Snape, we _are_ in a girl's bathroom." Snape quieted down.

"I have no right?" he repeated. "Myrtle, what has gotten into you?" 

"That's what being dead does to you," snapped Myrtle. "You lose your mind." Draco rubbed his temples. 

"I've had enough of this," he said. "I'm through here." He turned to leave but Myrtle clung to his arm, her fingers digging into his sweater sleeve.

"Please don't be angry," pleaded Myrtle. "I thought… I thought I'd be a much better girlfriend than Hermione ever could be." Draco shrugged her off. 

"I'm leaving," said Draco. He looked at Hermione who bit her lip.

"We are done here," said Hermione. "So we'll leave you Myrtle. In less than five minutes, you'll start to turn back into a ghost and you think about what you've done for the rest of your eternal life." Myrtle shuddered. 

"I'm sorry," she cried. They left the bathroom, Myrtle's sobs echoing the corridor. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You were good in there," said Hermione, softly, touching Draco's arm. He looked into the distance.

"I can't believe she did all of that and she knew the consequences. I was there, ready to defend her as soon as I saw her, as soon as I started to pity her." 

"Me too," said Hermione. "But she had her reasons and she did it. Her actions can't be taken back." 

"You think what we did was right? Back there? Myrtle's already troubled, we just added more problems." 

"She deserves everything she got," said Hermione, simply. "And you know that. I know you know that. So don't worry yourself too much over it."

"She's a horrid girl, extremely hard to like. She'll only hurt you because she thinks you'll hurt her first," said Snape. Draco shrugged and Hermione held his hand and squeezed reassuringly. 

"We'll somehow get through this," she said, hoping out loud. Snape frowned in thought.

"Lucius isn't an easy one to figure out," he said. "We have to make sure he doesn't do anything…_drastic_." Hermione shivered as the last word lingered in the air. 

"You're right," said Draco. "We'll get through this." He leaned down and kissed Hermione. 

"We better," she answered. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ginny was listless, almost as dead as Myrtle. She dragged herself from class to class, she barely ate, and dropped pounds that she couldn't afford to lose. Students whispered behind her backs and Ginny could sometimes hear snippets of their gossip.

"Well I heard that she's anorexic, I mean, have you _seen_ her???" 

"She's been this way ever since she tried to jump on Harry and he told her that she was a slut." 

"I heard that she tried to go home but Professor Dumbledore wouldn't let her without a medical problem." 

Ginny didn't care what they said anymore. She didn't care about anything. She was walking slowly, dragging her feet, the common room when she saw on the ground ahead of her a pair of feet.

"Gin?" said a voice. It was so familiar, too familiar, but Ginny had tried to block that voice from memory, as hard as it might be. 

"Please, talk to me," it said. Ginny felt her head lifting up against her will and looked into bright green eyes.

"Hey Gin," he said, softly. Ginny didn't feel the same prickling of tears behind her eyes, she didn't feel anything.

"I have to tell you something," he continued. "I don't know what's going on between you and Draco but I really have to tell you, yesterday was the longest night of my life." Ginny still didn't speak and her eyes only looked into the distance. 

"Why?" Her voice sounded hollow and detached from her body and her mind. 

"I couldn't stop thinking about you and Draco which made me think about more stuff. I tried to imagine life without people and I could imagine life without the Dursleys, without Hermione, even without Ron. But I couldn't imagine my life without you."

"Don't lie," she whispered. If Harry thought that he could charm her back just to spite Draco… Harry bent down and kissed her. Just like that. Without permission, without planning, without anything. And strangely…Ginny was disappointed. It wasn't like what she felt when she had kissed Draco. 

"You're not my best friend's sister anymore," said Harry. "I want you to be more than that." Ginny looked up at him, his earnest face. And how could she say no? 

"Okay," she finally said. Harry pulled her into a hug and Ginny still couldn't get rid of that disconnected feeling. This wasn't what she wanted, it really wasn't. She wasn't in love anymore with Harry. Had it even ever been love? Maybe just a silly infatuation that girls her age have. But it wasn't there anymore. But maybe it'd work out. 

"I'm glad you said yes," said Harry. Ginny nodded. Her mouth tasted bittersweet.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: That girl sure has high expectations, lol…I hope you guys enjoyed, I'll try and update faster! Please R&R on your way out! 


	17. Playing Games

Disclaimer: This poor author doesn't own anything except the plot.

Author's notes: Because of Leika Senara's request, I'll put double spaces between what the characters say and I'll try to add a "he said" and "she said" to clear up any confusion. Hope you guys are enjoying this, I think this story will go up to about twenty chapters, I'm not too sure right now but then again, I'm not sure where I left my purse either…

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"So this is where you and Pansy were always sneaking off to," said Hermione, eyes wide. Draco had convinced Hermione to skip the class before dinner and come with him to a "secret place." Palace more like. It was a circular room filled with cushions, luxe fur rugs, silk drapes, and plush velvet. Draco blew his soft, feathery hair out of his eyes.

"I would never bring Pansy here," he scoffed. "She'd give it away in a second." Hermione was still reveling in the fact that this lovely room was concealed so well. They had been walking along a corridor, walls painted in pictures of roses, when Draco took out his wand and tapped a certain large, unfurling rose. The picture turned into a real rose for a second before turning into wrought iron. Draco turned it like a door knob and pushed the wall slightly until it gave way like a door. The other painted roses started to turn into real roses and Draco took Hermione's hand and led her in, walking down the long hallway, the strong scent of roses filling their noses. 

"How did you get all this furniture in here?" asked Hermione. Draco materialized a blood-red rose and slid it into Hermione's curls.

"I transfigured everything into quills, parchments, things no one would suspect."

"Why'd you make it?" asked Hermione. She sank down and dug her fingers into the soft fur, twirling her fingers around cool silk, letting the smooth, almost liquid fabric drink up the heat of her fingers.

"To get away," Draco answered, sitting down next to her. 

"Think anyone's noticed we're gone?" asked Hermione, worry starting to creep into her voice. 

"They probably noticed," said Draco, with a smirk. "Does that bother you?" Hermione looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"Not when you're with me," she answered. Draco pulled her down and Hermione closed her eyes. She felt drunk off the smell of roses. She heard Draco's breathing turn deep and steady and knew he fell asleep. She let the heavy scent of roses fill her senses and she fell asleep too, dreaming of a sugar-spun world with silver edges. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hi Hermione," said a voice. Hermione was hurriedly catching up on the homework she had missed from her impromptu nap in that magical place Draco had taken her. Hermione looked up and saw that it was Dean. Hermione smiled to herself. She could have some fun with this.

"Hello Dean," she said, after just a little too long of a pause. Dean had

been shifting his weight nervously. 

"Feeling better?" he asked. 

"Better now that you're here," she said, smiling slowly, letting her lips curve naturally. Dean was even more flustered.

"Well," he said, trying not to stutter. "Maybe then you might still want to go out with me? I mean, if you're not seeing anyone else." Hermione turned in the seat to face him and crossed her legs, skirt riding up a little higher on her thigh. Hermione smoothed her gray skirt over her legs. 

"Sure, Dean, I'd love to," Hermione answered. 

"So, then I'll see you around?"

"If I'm there to be seen," said Hermione. She stood up, gathered her things, and turned around, twirling her skirt perfectly, a little trick she learned from (Hermione was sorry to admit this) Parvati. She turned around and waved over her shoulder, pleased to see Dean unable to move.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hermoine," said Harry, looking angry. "You're playing Dean and I know it." 

"Grow up Harry," scoffed Hermione. "If I don't recall, back in fifth year I remember you were, as you say it, _playing_ Padma _and_ Hannah. You even had the unshakable Sarah think she was in love." Harry flushed.

"Those were against my will," he answered, angrily.

"Were not," said Hermione. "Admit it, you were proud Harry, another thing about boys that just irk me." 

"It doesn't matter, that was last year," said Harry. "I already saw Ron get his heart stomped on and I'm not going to just stand and watch while I see another friend get their heart broken too."

"You are so melodramatic," said Hermione. "As if _I_ had the power to break anyone's heart?" 

"Don't lie," said Harry. "You know you're enjoying this too." 

"Never said I wasn't," said Hermione. She leaned close. "I never lie." 

"That's a big lie right there," said Harry. "Stop this right now Hermione or else I'm going to go and tell Dean what's going on." Hermione leaned back and crossed her arms.

"You wouldn't dare," she said, through gritted teeth.

"Just watch me," said Harry, equally determined. They stared at each other. Hermione wondered. She didn't want this to happen. She just wanted everything to be okay between her and Harry. She released a breath of air she didn't know she had been holding.

"Fine," she said. "I'll make sure Dean doesn't get hurt."

"That's all I ask," said Harry. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Snape frowned. There was something wrong and he couldn't quite put his finger on it…the air around him was hissing and whispering into his ear and it was driving him mad. Then suddenly, Snape had an inkling of what it was.

"Appear immediately Lucius, or I will be forced to perform the locking spell randomly about the room and you very well know that it hurts like the devil when being unlocked." There was a hiss and before Snape, Lucius materialized like the devil himself.

"What in the name of bloody hell do you think you're doing here?" hissed Snape. 

"I'm keeping an eye out for my only son because it seems like the rest of the Hogwarts faculty doesn't know how to," answered Lucius, smoothly. 

"You stay away from Draco, Lucius, I'm warning you," said Snape. "And the girl. If you hurt either of them, I will hunt you down and make sure myself that you're dead."

"You do so much for them," said Lucius, voice dangerously pleasant. "Do you ever receive any thanks? Ever get credit? No, you'll always be that death-eater. Don't grovel here, like a dog, waiting for everyone to suddenly accept you with open arms. Come back to where you belong, with Voldemort."

"I wouldn't return to that spawn of the devil. Not now, not ever," said Snape, breathing hard.

"You're nothing here, do you hear that? _Nothing_," said Lucius. "And you'll always be nothing. What do you have here?" 

"I know what I don't have," said Snape. "Fear." Lucius laughed, harshly. 

"Stop living in your dream world, Severus, one day someone's going to wake you up and it won't be pretty."

"Get. Out." Lucius shrugged.

"As you wish." Lucius swept out of the room. Snape knew that this wasn't the last time any of them would see of Lucius. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: sorry for the slow chappy, I will write more and it will be more interesting, I promise! Please R&R on your way out! 


	18. Murder at Nine

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot  
  
Author's Notes: Hey kiddies, I'm going to be off to San Fransisco for the Martin Luther King Jr. hols so I'm giving you guys this chappy as a little pressie, extra long too, lol...enjoy!  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
"We're going on a little venture," said Draco, pulling Hermione by the arm.   
  
  
"What?" Hermione had to speed up her pace to keep up with Draco.  
  
  
"Aren't you tired of always working and working?" he asked, keeping up his quick pace.   
  
  
"All that working? I haven't slacked off so much since I was born," said Hermione. Draco flashed her a grin.  
  
  
"It'll be fun, trust me."   
  
  
"That's the thing Draco, can I trust you?" she kidded. Draco took her hand and dragged her along and when they were alone (everyone else had disappeared into class) he pulled out an invisibility cloak from his pack.   
  
  
"Let's go then," he said.   
  
  
"Are we going to have to walk far?" asked Hermione.   
  
  
"How do you stay so thin when you're so lazy?" asked Draco. "And no, it's not that far."  
  
  
"It's a gift, really," she answered back. To actually fit under the cloak together, Hermione had to huddle close to Draco and he had to put his arms all the way around her. It took awhile to get to wherever Draco had planned because they had to walk slowly to make sure one of them didn't fall. Hermione ended up closing her eyes and burying her face into Draco's shirt as he led her on.   
  
  
"Hogsmeade?" asked Hermione, incredulously. "You brought us to Hogsmeade?"   
  
  
"What?" said Draco, sounding hurt. Hermione hugged him.  
  
  
"It's perfect," she said.   
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
"Won't like Professor McGonagall or Snape notice that we're both missing?" asked Hermione. She sipped her coffee carefully. It was still hot. They had walked around and poked around in little shops, the post holiday winter chill making their noses and ears hurt. At last they stumbled across a tiny French cafe and settled inside. Hermione stirred her coffee around. She made hers milky and sweet while Draco kept it black.   
  
  
"They probably will but they probably won't be able to put two and two together. I mean, how many students do they see in one day?" Hermione was silent after Draco's answer, enjoying the steam of her coffee rising up and tickling her nose.  
  
  
"Don't you think it's funny?" asked Hermione, sleepily. The whole day seemed surreal and the ambience of the small, intimate cafe almost put her to sleep.   
  
  
"What is?" asked Draco. He also sounded a little dazed and Hermione moved close to him and yawned.  
  
  
"That we're such opposites." Draco looked at their coffee mugs.  
  
  
"I guess so," he said. He yawned too. "Maybe opposites do attract." Hermione was about to answer but was lured into one yawn after another. Finally, she gave up on trying to speak and she leaned against Draco, feeling the watery thud of his heartbeat against her ear. Hermione closed her eyes and let the soft buzz of the other people in the cafe fill her ears the scent of coffee and raspberry scones fill her nose.   
  
  
THUD! Someone had walked in and slammed the door behind them. Hermione jolted awake. The pleasant murmur of conversation around her died down.  
  
  
  
"What's going on?" whispered Hermione. Draco shrugged and pulled her close.   
  
  
"Dead?! Dead you say??? That's impossible! Preposterous!" Hermione frowned. The voice was vaguely familiar.  
  
  
"He's dead, you heard my right the first time," said another voice. Hermione couldn't see who that man was, his back was facing Hermione and Draco. He seemed to look annoyed, though, from the way he was standing and the way his hands were pushed into his robe pockets. The chattering in the cafe resumed. Hermione strained to hear the conversation.  
  
  
"He was found dead this morning," said the second voice. "Cause of death seems to be from the use of no curse rather, he was killed by muggle ways, with a knife."   
  
  
"Was he killed by muggles then?" asked the first voice, in amazement.  
  
  
"That's impossible to even consider," scoffed the second voice. "He lived in a pure wizard neighborhood, high tech security, both magic and muggle, and had over thirty servants in the house."  
  
  
"Then how could the killer have gotten away?" asked the first voice.  
  
  
"The house had no charm to keep anyone from Apparating or Disapparating into it. He needed a quick way to get out of the house, his "job" called for him to leave the house in a hurry." The second man's voice made it sound as if job was a dirty word.  
  
  
"Then the man could be anywhere! The killer is out loose!" cried the first voice.  
  
  
"No!" snapped the second voice. "We must keep this quiet."   
  
  
"So there is no clue who the killer could be?"  
  
  
"There is one prime suspect that all the fingers point to. I am afraid to say it for I wish not to believe it."   
  
  
"Who would dare do such an act?" asked the first voice, fearfully.  
  
  
"Everyone who is investigating say that it is his own son who has done this," said the second voice.   
  
  
"His own son?" gasped the first voice.   
  
  
"He was missing today in class," said the second voice.   
  
  
"No alibi, but also, no motive," said the other.  
  
  
"There is motive, things are not looking well."   
  
  
"But what can we do?"  
  
  
"I told you already," the second voice said. "Keep it quiet!" There was a sound of footsteps fading away and the door slamming shut. Hermione looked at Draco, eyes wide. She knew the minute she looked into his face, he knew what she knew. The people who were talking were none other than Cornelius Fudge and Severus Snape.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
"Hurry," urged Draco. The magic spell in the cafe had broken but Hermione and Draco had sat there, unmovable until suddenly, Draco seemed to spring into action and life. He grabbed Hermione's wrist and they both flew out of the cafe. They hadn't even bothered to throw on the invisibility cloak. They ran into Hogwarts, gasping and out of breath.  
  
  
"We have to find Snape," said Draco. They ran....straight into Professor McGonagall.  
  
  
"Professor Snape is looking for you," said Professor McGonagall. "As I am too. You both have left class for more...entertaining reasons I assume one time too many." Professor McGonagall grabbed both their wrists and started to drag them down the hallway.  
  
  
"Professor McGonagall," protested Draco. "I must see Professor Snape."   
  
  
"You are in no position to defy me, young man," said Professor McGonagall.  
  
  
"But Professor!" cried Hermione.  
  
  
"Minerva?" Professor McGonagall, Draco, and Hermione all looked up. Snape was standing before them, looking distressed.   
  
  
"May I take these two for you?" He didn't wait for an answer and took them both by the hand and pulled them away into his office.   
  
  
"Where were you?" asked Snape, breathing hard. Draco exchanged a glance with Hermione.  
  
  
"At Hogsmeade," he finally said. Snape groaned.  
  
  
"You couldn't have picked a worse time to leave the school grounds," he hissed. "Do you have any idea what happened?"  
  
  
"I heard, some of it," said Draco. "At the cafe. That was you, wasn't it? The second voice?" Snape frowned.  
  
  
"Draco, you're being charged for murder of your father," he said, looking worried.   
  
  
"What?" Draco whispered. "Charged? For murder?"  
  
  
"Yes, charged for murder," snapped Snape. "And now that you have no alibi that you were in school, it's a hopeless case. Your father was found dead, six stab wounds in the chest and stomach, lying there in a pool of blood in his own house. He even wrote a note." Snape tossed a parchment to Draco.  
  
  
"I feel my strength failing," read Draco out loud. "But I do not wish for my death to be an unnoble one. To my wife, I love you and I always will. My mother and father, I will join you soon. And to my son, I condemn you never to return to my side, for my own son is the one who has done this to me..." The writing scrawled off, as if Lucius had died just as he was writing this. Hermione gasped and buried her face in her hands.  
  
  
"This is bs," said Draco, harshly. "If my father had this much time to write all of this, he would have done everything humanly possible to save himself. Simple spells can heal any wound. And he never loved my mother. Never."   
  
  
"How can you prove all of this, Draco?" asked Snape. "It's impossible."  
  
  
"You can defend yourself," cried Hermione. "They'll belive you, Dumbledore will believe you!"  
  
  
"No Hermione!" said Draco. "You don't understand."   
  
  
"What?" whispered Hermione, forboding in her mind.  
  
  
"If I go through with this trial, they're going to try me for murder of my own father and put me in Azkaban."  
  
  
"Azkaban?" said Hermione, fearfully. Draco held her as she sobbed quietly.   
  
  
"But this is all fake," said Draco, frowning. "There's something that doesn't fit."   
  
  
"But the judge and jury won't see that, Draco," said Snape. "We need to get you out of here."  
  
  
"I can't leave," said Draco. "I can't, I won't." Snape sighed, exasperated.  
  
  
"Fine, but where will you go in the summer?"  
  
  
"I have to think about it," said Draco, worry etching across his face. "But I know one thing for sure, Lucius isn't dead."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N:So what really happened to Lucius? And what will happened to Draco? Oohh, I do love hot, criminal boys...lol....I hope you guys enjoyed this, please R&R on your way out! 


	19. No Memories

Disclaimer:I honestly own nothing but the plot…

Author's Notes: Because it's fun and it's also much easier to read, I'll be adding pretty big spaces between paragraphs. But if you find yourself doing too much extraneous scrolling (heehee) just tell me and I'll lessen the spaces between the paragraphs :) Thanks for the reviews! I'm actually planning on wrapping up this story pretty soon, as I had originally planned, it will be twenty chapters ( I hope! Twenty is such a round, pretty number to stop it at) but I don't want it to end *wail* which probably means I'll make a sequel if you guys want. So enjoy the story ~* 

Oh, and by the way, for all you anime fans out there, if you're ever out or online looking at anime, look for the Mars anime ad that reads, "A bad boy can change a good girl forever" because I think that that quote and that picture just completely epitomizes my fic so please look for it! Okay, enough blabbering…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You know I won't let them take you to Azkaban," whispered Hermione, face pale. Draco sighed sadly. 

"It's too much, it's unfair. Why, Professor Snape?" cried Hermione. "Why can't I be the alibi?" Snape rubbed his temples. 

"I told you already, Hermione. If you say that you and Draco were in Hogsmeade together, that would only make matters worse. Supporters of your father will be in powerful positions at court and they would only find a way to turn the situation around to their advantage. They would say that Draco was fraternizing with a family enemy and would say that Lucius had forbidden you two to meet again, giving Draco now another motive for killing Lucius."

"But it's not fair," Hermione still said, stubbornly. 

"A lot of things aren't," agreed Snape. "Too many things but we really can't change that." 

"Then what can I do?" asked Draco. "It's hopeless trying to fight for my defense and if I don't, the Ministry will track me down. I'm completely trapped." Snape tapped a finger to his temple. 

"Not completely," he said. "I must think some things over with Professor Dumbledore. You are dismissed but stay aware and I'll contact you both immediately." Draco and Hermione walked out.

"So," said Draco. "Are you still meeting Dean?"

"You can you even be thinking about that?" gasped Hermione. "What's wrong with you?" Draco chuckled.

"I've learned to just try not to over worry these things, especially when I can't do anything to change things right now."

"We can try and get a Time-turner," said Hermione. "Then we could have stayed at school and then you wouldn't even be suspected."

"Time-turners were made illegal, remember?" asked Draco. "Too many good wizards and witches killed themselves using it." Hermione sighed again.

"Hermione? You're not going to go all depressed on me, are you?" Hermione grinned cheerfully although inside she felt like she was collapsing.

"Of course not!" she said, a little too loudly. "Things will turn out for the best. Just watch." Draco saw the tear that fell down Hermione's cheek. Draco sighed.

"Oh Hermione." He pulled her close and let Hermione cry into his sweater. "Do you think you're going to be okay?"

"I don't know," said Hermione. "I really don't." Draco put an arm around Hermione and pulled her tight and starting to walk her to class when they bumped into something that was about as tall as their knees. 

"What the-" Draco started. Hermione nudged him in the ribs to keep him from swearing. It was a house elf. Dobby in fact. Hermione kneeled down to look at Dobby in the face. 

"Dobby? What's wrong?" Dobby was sniffling and crying. This was strange, house elves usually were never around Hogwarts halls, usually in kitchens cooking. 

"One of we is dead, miss!" Dobby wailed. "One of we is dead!" 

"What? How? Kitchen accident?" asked Hermione, anxiously. Her love of house elves never really did go away. 

"No!" cried Dobby. "Twinkle be murdered!"

"What?" Draco leaned down too and looked at Dobby. "Twinkle? Was Twinkle employed here?" 

"No sir," said Dobby, sniffling. "Twinkle lived with a very rich family. They were none other than my former employers. She took my job after good Harry Potter freed me." Hermione and Draco exchanged a glance. 

"I'm sorry Dobby," whispered Hermione. Dobby sobbed. 

"She was like family! All house elves are like family!" 

"This just explains too much," said Draco, angrily. "It wasn't Lucius' body they found. It was Twinkle's." 

"What?" asked Hermione, eyes wide.

"It's obvious, Lucius made Twinkle take the Polyjuice potion with his own hairs on it."

"But the Polyjuice potion is temporary, it has to be taken once every hour." 

"Hermione, have you ever heard of the _Fles_ _Yititned_ spell?" Hermione shook her head no. 

"It's a difficult spell that needs a flesh sacrifice in order to complete it. It is when a long time drinker of the Polyjuice potion can completely change into the person they want to be. But the person that they are wishing to be must also agree to this and must give the Polyjuice drinker themselves. I won't be every surprised if I found Lucius walking around the place missing an arm or something. He wanted to destroy my life so much he was willing to sacrifice himself." 

"But he didn't sacrifice himself completely," said Hermione, dazedly. "He sacrificed Twinkle instead." Dobby burst into tears. 

"But we cannot prove any of this," said Draco. "We're still in the same position we were in before, maybe even worse. If I'm not mistaken, I'm sure Lucius, or "father" will be skulking around, making sure to do me in, soon too." 

"I'm scared Draco," whispered Hermione. 

"I am too," admitted Draco. "But we have to stick to this. Snape and Dumbledore will know what to do." 

"I sure hope so too," said Hermione with a sigh. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione was so anxious to see Draco again that she didn't even see Dean trying to talk to her. In the end, Professor McGonagal noticed and took five points each from Gryffindor and gave them after class detention. 

"What?" cried Hermione. "Professor, you have to believe me, I didn't do anything!" Professor McGonagal merely looked at her from above her glasses.

"Lately it seems," said Professor McGonagall, fixing such a steely gaze on Hermione that she cringed slightly. "That your word cannot be trusted. Stay after class with Dean and that's that." She instructed a moody Hermione and an indifferent Dean to wash the tops of the desks and make sure students didn't leave anything around. Hermione was on her knees, looking for any Zonka's chewing gum underneath a desk while Dean washed the top of it. 

"You sure wanted to get out of this detention," said Dean. 

"What?" Hermione got up so quickly that she bumped her head. "Ow." Dean appeared next to her.

"It's nothing like that, Dean," said Hermione, hastily. "It's just that I had to meet a friend after class." 

"During break?" said Dean, unbelieving.

"To er- give back the textbook they needed for their next class that I was using," said Hermione. It was a lame excuse but Dean seemed to buy it. 

"Sure," he said, smiling. "That happens to me all the time. Now does your head hurt?" 

"What?" 

"You are so spacey, Hermione," said Dean, laughing. He touched her forehead where she hit it hard. Hermione bit her lip. She didn't like where this was turning. She got up abruptly.

"Let's look at the next desk," she suggested. 

"Wait, Hermione," said Dean. Hermione turned around, only to be grabbed by the shoulders and kissed. 

"What?!" She tried to yell but it was kind of hard when another guy's mouth was attached to hers. I mean, ick. Just like barf me back to the stone age* (a/n: HAHAHAHAHAHA! *falls off chair*). There was the sound of a door opening. 

"What the hell Dean?" said Draco. He pulled Dean away from Hermione. Hermione stood there looking angry. 

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" asked Dean, flushed and angry. 

"I was looking for her," he said, indicating Hermione. Dean moved in front of Hermione, as if to protect her but Hermione sidestepped and walked next to Draco. Dean's eyes narrowed.

"It's all planned out," said Draco, softly. Hermione looked at him, eyes wide.

"Wait," said Dean. "I'd like to know what the bloody hell is going on here." 

"Don't be angry Dean," said Hermione.

"Like hell I'm not going to be angry," said Dean, crossly. Draco gave him a look. 

"Look Hermione," said Draco. "We should tell him, it won't matter after this anyway." 

"Dean," said Hermione, and took a big breath. "You're a great guy but when I said I'd go out with you, that was only because I needed to make sure people didn't know that Draco and I were going out." Dean looked at them incredulously. 

"Is this some kind of joke?" he asked, disbelieving.

"I wish," said Draco, blowing the hair out of his eyes. "No joke though." 

"You wish you weren't going out with me?" teased Hermione. 

"No," said Draco. He smiled but his eyes were still serious. "I meant I wish I didn't have to go through with what they're making me do." 

"Dean, I have to leave, we have a bit of a crisis on our hands," said Hermione. She pulled Draco's hand and they left Dean alone, with a confused but angry look on his face.

"So what are they making you do?" asked Hermione. 

"They're thinking of performing a sort of lesser version of the Deatheater's kiss." 

"What?" whispered Hermione.

"It's when they remove your soul from your body, temporarily, and can store it safely so I'll just be a shell. Professor Dumbledore and Snape will claim that I had a Quidditch accident and now I lost all sense of myself and I'll be off the hook. The minute that happens they'll give it back to me."

"That doesn't sound that bad," said Hermione.

"But when my soul reenters my body, it might mess something up," said Draco. "The spell is rare because sometimes the body forgets how to function without the soul and I might lose pieces of my soul, so I might not remember…"

"You might forget all about me," finished Hermione. 

"It's likely too," said Draco, sighing. "There has never been a successful time using this spell. Something always goes awry."

"But are you going to do it?" asked Hermione, fearfully.

"No."

"No?" echoed Hermione. "I don't understand, isn't this the only way?"

"It may seem like it but I won't go through with it," said Draco. 

"I'm glad to hear that," said Hermione. "I wouldn't know what to do if I remembered you but you didn't remember me." They sat against the wall and Hermoine leaned her head against Draco's shoulder.

"So what are you going to do then?" She felt Draco's shoulders rise in a shrug.

"I really don't know," he said, sounding lost. Hermione closed her eyes and they sat there like that.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*that lovely little saying is courtesy of my piano teacher who said I was a valley girl and asked me if I ever said, "barf me back to the stone age" or "grody to the max." Thankfully, I've never said neither before…until now, MUAHAHAHA! 

A/N: Yup, it seems like I'll definitely be wrapping up the story by next chapter and maybe writing an epilogue and a sequel if you all would like it :) Please R&R on your way out!


	20. Gone into the Summer

Disclaimer:Nothing but the plot belongs to me

Author's Notes: Final chappy! Wow, it always feels so weird when you finish a fic… but if you guys want, I will write an epilogue and I know pretty much for sure that there IS going to be a sequel *listens for applause, nothing but crickets* I hope you guys liked this and I hope to see you all read the sequel (hopefully I'll write it soon) ;)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The year was finally drawing to a close and the end of the year feast was also approaching. Most of the students of Hogwarts were excited, ready to hang out in the summer, the time of sunscreen and ginger lemonade, the time where you can throw on a shorts and tank top and go around barefoot if you wanted to. Many students were busily exchanging muggle addresses if they didn't have owls yet but everyday seemed to go by too fast for Draco and Hermione. 

"When are they going to do it?" asked Hermione.

"After the end of the year feast," said Draco. "They have to make sure that the students don't notice anything. This is supposed to be kept under wraps."

"It's selfish of me but I'm glad you're not going through this," said Hermione. 

"I know," Draco answered.

"What are you going to do?" Draco shrugged wearily. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"'Mione?" asked Ron. It was the end of the year feast and Hermione felt dull and detached from her body as she dumbly tried to eat, only moving the food around her plate. Hermione slowly looked up.

"I'm sorry Hermione," said Ron, simply. He looked like he was going to say more but Hermione knew she didn't have to hear it. She knew he was sorry, she was sorry too.

"Are you coming to the Burrow again this year?" he asked. It took Hermoine a minute to register. She said slowly, 

"I don't think so." Her voice sounded hollow. "I have other things to do this summer." Ron didn't pester her any further, he learned his lesson. Hermione let her eyes roam until they landed on Harry who's arm was draped around Ginny. Surprisingly, Hermione saw that Ginny looked sad and empty, she didn't look like she had eaten for awhile. Hermione shrugged to herself. She couldn't take care of everyone, could she? Hermione found her eyes landing on Dean who was looking straight back at her, eyes hard. Hermione swallowed. He wouldn't do anything stupid, would he?

"I'm sorry things didn't work out," said Hermione, quietly. She had walked up to Dean, wanting to close all ties with him. 

"That really hurt Hermione," said Dean, sounding angry. 

"I'm sorry I was so selfish, I didn't know what I was thinking. Actually I do. I love Draco and I would never want anything to jeopardize that." 

"And you had to bring me into your little game?" asked Dean. 

"I'm sorry."

"You told me, why don't you tell everyone else that you love Draco Malfoy? That you're a player?" Dean shouted. The loud room suddenly fell silent. 

"You bastard," said Hermione, quietly. "You don't know what I'm going through." Hermione turned on her heel and started to leave when she felt a hand grab her elbow and turn her back around. She thought it would be Dean but nearly fell over in shock when she saw that it was Draco. 

"It doesn't matter anymore," he said, softly. "I want everyone to know how we feel." Hermione felt her eyes prick with tears. This was too much. Lucius death, then finding out he wasn't dead, Draco's dilemma, fighting with Dean….she couldn't handle it. 

"Shall we show them?" whispered Draco. Suddenly, all the thoughts flew out of Hermione's head and she found that she could only nod. Draco leaned down and kissed her so sweetly, Hermione could feel tears in her eyes again. Was this the last time she'd ever be able to kiss him? Hermione could hear people starting to clap. When they broke apart, Hermione saw Pansy looking furious, and Ron and Harry both clapping, sad smiles on their faces. Hermione looked at Draco.

"Well," he said. "Now they know." They both saw Snape clapping softly, McGonagall wiping tears from her eyes, and Dumbledore smiling with approval. He met their eyes and gave them each a firm nod. 

"What now?" asked Hermione. 

"I know what to do," said Draco. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The celebration did continue afterwards the House Cup was awarded to Gryffindor house as usual. But Hermione and Draco weren't there to see it. They had to sneak out and were outside the castle. 

"So this is it?" asked Hermione. "I can't believe this is it."

"This is not it, I'll see you again," said Draco. "Don't be stupid." Hermione kept her eyes downcast.

"Don't give me that look," teased Draco, gently. He put two fingers underneath her chin and made her look up. He leaned down and kissed her again, then stuck out his wand hand. Sure enough, a rumble of a bus starting coming close.

"Mr. Malfoy," said a voice. Hermione and Draco jumped and saw Snape and Dumbledore standing behind them.

"I trust I will see you again," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling, but still looking somber. 

"Stay alive boy," Snape ordered. "I kept you alive too long for you to die on me now."

"You knew all along?" asked Draco, surprised. 

"We suspected you wouldn't want to go through with the spell. That was one time I am glad you are so close with Ms. Granger," said Snape. "Stay away from Hogwarts but do send us an owl once every so often, so we know you're alive." Draco nodded.

"Go with my blessing, boy," said Dumbledore. And for the first time, when Dumbledore patted Draco's shoulder, Draco didn't flinch. They heard the sound of the bus getting louder and looked and saw the Knight Bus heading their way. Dumbledore and Snape walked back a couple of steps, leaving Hermione and Draco alone.

"I don't want you to leave," whispered Hermione, tears finally spilling down her face. Draco hugged her.

"I'll come back for you," he promised. They shared one more kiss and Draco broke away and started to climb the stairs of the bus. Hermione couldn't take it. The bus doors closed and the bus started to pull away, getting farther and farther away in a remarkable speed. 

"No!" cried Hermione, wretchedly. She tried lunging after the bus but Snape held onto her. 

"Let met go!" she screamed. Snape did but Hermione sank to the floor, sobbing. The bus was completely gone from view. 

"Let it all out," said Snape, stroking her hair. Hermione cried into the grass, refusing to look up. Then, Hermione suddenly leapt away and threw out her wand hand.

"No, Hermione," Dumbledore ordered but Hermione ignored them. She started running towards the speck from a distance coming closer and closer. It was the Knight bus. The doors of the bus opened and Hermione sprinted up the stairs….right into Draco's arms.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"How's it going?" asked Draco.

"Hard," Hermione admitted. They were on the bus, heading away from Hogwarts. Draco stood behind Hermione and put his arms around her, helping her give strength to try and write the letter she had been meaning to for awhile. Hermione took a deep breath and started to write.

__

Dear Mom,

A lot of things happened this year that I know you might be shocked to know. First of all, I'm not a virgin anymore and second of all, I don't think I'll be coming home this summer…

Hermione finally finished the letter and carefully folded it up and attached it to an owl that the Knight bus supplied. She held the owl in her hands and opened up the window and let the owl fly away. It flew farther and farther away until Hermione couldn't see it anymore against the sky. The light was fading and the sky was painted with vivid colors. Hermione leaned back into the warm, comfortable circle of Draco's arms. The sky was almost dark now, the stars twinkled sweetly. Hermione took a deep breath. She knew that even if she lost everything, she'd still have Draco, and he'd always hold her, no matter what.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N:And it's a wrap! Yes, it's finally over! But I will probably write a sequel and maybe an epilogue if you guys would like. Thank you all who reviewed and read, I hope you enjoyed it, I loved writing it! 


	21. Epilogue

Disclaimer:            Really, I own everything!  Not……lol…J.K. Rowling rightfully owns everything except I guess I own the plot…

Author's Notes: Okie, folks, I made an epilogue because I really wanted to and peeps were telling me I should :)  sorry so short…but a sequel is most likely coming (the first chappy is under construction right now…) so plz stay with me!  Thanks for reading my fic, I had tons of fun writing it, I'm glad u guys enjoyed reading it!

~*~

            "Hermione?" murmured Draco.  Hermione was leaning on his chest, eyes closed, mumbling softly to herself.  He shook her slightly.  

            "Hermione??" he asked, more urgently.  Hermione finally stirred awake.  

            "Yeah?" she asked, softly.

            "You looked scared," Draco said.   "Are you okay?"  Hermione shook her head slightly.  Silence lulled on, the only sound was the bus hitting rocks and periodically the splashing of waves of some random ocean they were crossing.  

            "I don't know," she finally said.  Draco held her tighter and said, into her hair,

            "I don't want to say that everything's going to be okay," he said.  "Because I don't know if they are going to be okay.  But I am going to stay with you, no matter what."  Hermione felt the familiar feeling of tears pricking her eyes.  She snuggled closer to him.  

            "I know," she said, simply.  Draco let the rhythmic sound of the bus drone on and let his thoughts take over.  

~*~

            "We're here," said Draco, shaking Hermione awake.  She groggily followed him down the steps of the bus.  It was night and the moon was full, casting a soft glow on everything around them.  The breeze carried the sweet scent of summer and the warmth of the coming of hotter days.  Hermione looked around her; they were in a street, old-fashioned streetlamps lighting the cobblestone path.  Closed stores along the streets were dark but cozy and inviting.  Hermione gasped when she read the script on one of the store doors.  She felt a smile starting.  She looked down and found her clothes had changed.  She was wearing a crisp white blouse and a beautiful skirt; her hair was soft and glowing in the moonlight.  Hermione looked back at Draco who was grinning at her.

            "Ma cherie," he murmured.  He looked like a prince in the moonlight.  He too looked fresh and awake.  He took her hand and pulled her close.

            "Beautiful girl," he whispered, into her ear.  

            "Draco," said Hermione, not wanting to speak to loud in fear that she might break the spell that she felt twining around them.  "Are we…in Paris?"  Draco grinned and pulled her close for a kiss.  Hermione melted into that kiss, into the moonlight, and finally felt free.  

~*~

A/N: Gah, sorry so short but it's fitting, right?  Heehee…the sequel (*crossing fingers* I hope I will get around to finishing the first chapter…) will most likely be called _Last Dance in Paris_. So if you see that fic floating anywhere…read it!  Thanks for reading, please R&R on your way out!  


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